ANSON COUNTY — Friends of the Anson County Animal Shelter volunteer Chad Phifer expressed his displeasure with how county leaders have chosen to proceed with decision-making for animal control service within the county at the board’s early September meeting.
“I know a hot topic of what is going on at the shelter, animal control, and everything as of late, the last few meetings, in the last six to eight weeks has been a big ordeal with the director [Maureen Lett] potentially leaving, putting in her notice, and then withdrawing it at the last minute. I, as a volunteer, would like to express my displeasure with the leadership of Anson County as far as the animal shelter goes,” said Phifer.
“There is no staff at the animal shelter. Anything that gets done there is done by volunteers,” he continued. “There was an almost $50,000 grant for new kennel gates at the shelter that was applied for and gotten, to the best of my knowledge, maybe six to eight weeks ago. It was promised that in two weeks someone would be up there to start installing those kennel doors. … I don’t think anybody has been there yet with the kennel doors.”
He knows, because he said he finally had to install the doors himself.
“I understand that there are budgeting problems with the county — or lack of planning for budgeting for Anson County. There are positions in the budget for staff for the shelter that apparently have not been hired for, I don’t know if they are on hold for whatever reason, I’m not privy to that information,” he said.
Phifer said he considers a good leader to be someone who leads by example, recounting how at the meeting where Lett intended to step down, he said he only recognized two commissioners as being present.
Pointing out everyone, regardless of social or economic status, has 24-hours in a day, Phifer said, “What defines you is how you invest your time. I work a full-time job. I also work a part-time job as a brick mason, doing jobs for myself. But yet, I still found time to go there to volunteer, to help, to move things to help take your animals to provide better welfare for these animals,” said Phifer.
Another grievance aired by Phifer related to lawncare at the shelter.
He said, “County staff is supposed to mow the grass there. I personally brought my own lawnmower from home to the animal shelter to mow grass that was three feet tall outside. Would you want to go into any business, whether it be a shelter or whatever, and spend your money and time thinking that it is a good place, when you have got grass outside that is three feet tall? Is that inviting for anyone? No wonder things are not right here.”