ROOSEVELT, Utah, Aug. 22, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — City officials have temporarily closed the Roosevelt Animal Shelter to public access, it was announced Saturday.
Shelter staff will continue to provide care for all animals in the shelter, but public services, such as animal adoption, won’t be available during the closure, the city said in a news release on Facebook.
“Roosevelt City administrators began a thorough investigation into the Roosevelt Animal Shelter last week at the request of animal shelter staff members and the public. The goal of the investigation was to evaluate current policies and procedures to ensure the needs of shelter staff and animals in custody were being met,” the news release said.
“Because concerns were brought to light of possible misuse of public money or public property, the Roosevelt City Attorney has determined that the City is obligated to fully investigate any possible violations, and all members of staff who may be involved have been placed on administrative leave, resulting in the temporary public closure of the shelter.”
An outside agency will look into any possible code violations, and Roosevelt City officials “will not be involved to avoid any possible conflict of interest,” according to the news release.
The city has emergency arrangements in place to respond to any animal issues that may come up while the shelter is closed, and anyone needing animal services should continue to call Central Dispatch at 435-722-4558.
“Roosevelt City will continue to make improvements at the animal shelter. City officials have already approved an increase in budgeted staff hours for shelter employees and worked with shelter management to improve lines of communication for addressing any future concerns that may arise,” the city said on its Facebook page.
It also stated that allegations of high rates of euthanasia at the shelter are false, and only three cats that were injured beyond any hope of recovery have been euthanized so far this year.
“It is the goal of Roosevelt City officials to ensure that the Roosevelt Animal Shelter is operating efficiently, meeting the needs of its staff, and providing the best possible care to all animals within its custody. The current investigation will help the City meet those goals and result in overall improvement at the Roosevelt Animal Shelter,” the news release said.
