Alan Williams has been named the new director at the Lancaster County
Animal Shelter beginning next Monday, Lancaster County Administrator
Steve Willis said Wednesday.For the first time since early May, the shelter will resume full-time hours and be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, June 27.
The shelter has been without a director since May 11, when the former director was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
Willis would not say whether the previous director quit or was fired.
“All I can say is that she is no longer employed by Lancaster County,” he said.
Williams, 52, brings a confident and calm presence to the chaotic department, along with six years experience at the county shelter. He has been filling in as interim director since mid-May.
“Williams came back during the recent crisis at the shelter and helped us get through it,” Willis said. “He will hit the ground running.”
“I have every confidence he will continue to do a good job,” Willis said.
Williams is no fan of drama or rumors. He said his interest is in the welfare of the animals and the safety of the public. He will use his time observing and interacting with the animals to determine if a cat or dog is adoptable.
“If anyone wants to know what I do or why, please call me and ask,” he said.
Williams addressed a recent social media rumor regarding a dog that had been on a 10-day quarantine after biting its owner, who surrendered it to the shelter. He kept the dog for an extra 21 days to determine its temperament, but said he could not in good conscience allow the dog to be adopted.
Social media users had referred to the dog as a “pretty Lab that was put to sleep.” The shelter’s paperwork listed it as a brindle pit bull mixed with Lab and hound.
“The risk was too great to allow that dog to be adopted,” he said.
Williams loves animals and has three dogs at home that he rescued while at the shelter from 2009-14.
Williams hopes to streamline the process of adoption for the rescue groups and the public. His goal is to get the animals out as soon as possible.
“The dogs are better off the less time they spend in the shelter,” he said.
The primary function of the Lancaster County Animal Shelter is to house and care for stray and unwanted animals. In order to assist county residents, a five business day hold is placed on all strays picked up or brought into the shelter to allow time for residents to reclaim missing or lost pets. If animals are not reclaimed, they are made available to animal rescues and the public for adoption.
Williams said people need to understand that when they surrender their dog to the shelter, it becomes the property of Lancaster County and will either be adopted out or put to sleep.
While the animal shelter is necessary, its burden would be less if people would spay or neuter their pets, he said.
“My three rescues are all fixed and it’s the best money I ever spent on them,” he said.
“People have called animal control for help with vicious male dogs in their yard that were attracted to their female dog in heat. They were afraid to go out of their house,” Williams said.
If fixed, animals will stay close to home, he said.
Williams said he feels the shelter is moving in a good direction and said Willis has been supportive in providing him with what he needs to do his job. He said they will be resuming heartworm tests and vaccines in the near future. Williams said he will work hard to regain the trust of the public.
The shelter was at capacity Thursday and rescue groups and the public were coming in as soon as the doors opened at noon. One dog was adopted before 12:30 p.m. by Lancaster resident Ashley Laws, who recently lost her dog. Laws said she wanted to save a dog and give it a home.
Until further notice, fees are still being waived for adoption, Williams said.
The search is on for the shelter assistant.
The SLED investigation into the shelter, which began May 13, is still open and active, SLED spokesman Thom Berry said Thursday.
6/24/16
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