September 13th (Rapid City Journal): The Humane Society of the Black Hills has made some major changes in the past few months — changes it hopes will stem the tide of what’s become more than a year of controversy for the shelter.

Over the past year and a half, the agency has seen a revolving door of executive

directors — four in the span of four months — accusations of sexual harassment and an embezzlement conviction.But board members and others are optimistic the much-beleaguered agency has finally turned the corner. The city has reshaped the humane society’s governing board, and the board has improved the financial procedures and delayed hiring a new executive director.

“We’re very determined not to repeat the mistakes that have been made in the past,” board member Kathy Downey said. “We just came in with an attitude that we want to make a difference and make changes for the better and not rush into anything that might deter that.”

First among those changes was the decision not to hire another executive director, a position that has been at the heart of problems for the past year.

In February, the board decided not to retain executive director Melissa Foxworth, who had served in that position for six months.

“The mistakes of the past have been that it’s been rushed into,” board president Katy Stulc said. “We aren’t going to repeat that.” Former humane society staff members had alleged that Foxworth was hired because of her friendship with Stulc, a charge Stulc has denied.

Mayor Alan Hanks added five members to the humane society board in April, and the first goal of the new board is to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, said Phyllis Okrepkie, one of Hanks’ appointees.

“We wanted to have a plan so we could share that and work with the executive director to achieve that instead of just letting them come in and do whatever they think is right,” Okrepkie said. “They need to have direction.”

Shelter manager Josh Curtis said that from a staff perspective, the hands-on board has been an asset. Curtis has managed the day-to-day operations of the shelter since March.

“The board has really stepped up. I can call anyone at any time and get what I need,” Curtis said. “In the past, you couldn’t talk to a board member. But now, they’re really accessible to us, and the staff appreciates it and feels the presence there.”

Curtis said the society’s focus has also returned to where it should have been: Getting as many dogs and cats adopted as possible.

“Over the past year with the directors, there wasn’t a concern with what I thought was important,” Curtis said. “Our biggest goal is to decrease euthanasia as much as possible.”

To work toward that goal, the society has upped its commitment to working with breed-specific rescues to find foster homes for purebred dogs, Curtis said.

The rescues, which are thoroughly screened by staff, are located throughout the region. Most recently, Curtis drove four German shorthair pointers to Sioux Falls after a local breeder surrendered them to the humane society.

In 2008, about 80 dogs were taken to rescues. So far in 2009, Curtis has already placed 90.

“I could keep that purebred dog and sell it for $500, but I’m losing that space for a dog that can’t go to rescue,” Curtis said. “We don’t want to ever get to the point where we’re full.”

The humane society has also hired a part-time veterinarian for the first time, Curtis said. The investment has cut down on outside vet costs and has allowed them to schedule more spay/ neuters.

Financially, the board has made a number of changes to prevent future theft, Stulc said. In June, former interim director Kim Berger pleaded guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from the society. She has paid $10,000 in restitution.

The agency no longer keeps petty cash on hand, has two separate bookkeepers — one to enter data and one to reconcile bank statements — and no purchase can be made without a purchase order and a check signed by two board members. No Humane Society employees are on bank accounts.

“Every company, every organization has challenges with employees,” Okrepkie said. “But they don’t see the good that we do. They don’t see the hundreds and hundreds of animals we save. They don’t see the success stories.”

Community reaction

People involved with the Humane Society are generally optimistic that

the changes are for the better.

Skip Rudge, a former board member and executive director, said he has faith in the new arrangement and the caliber of the new board members, including former Mayor Jim Shaw. In the past, he has been critical of what he saw as micromanagement by the board.

“Jim’s a very level head, and he’s a planner, and I think with Jim in there, things are bound to get better,” Rudge said.

The fresh blood, he said, will be good for the society as a whole.

“While they may not have been attuned to what’s necessary to run a humane society, I’m sure they exercise due diligence; and they went in there, and none of them had an ax to grind.”

Billee Schaible, a long-time volunteer, said the turmoil over the past year has only solidified the commitment of staff, which she said is “phenomenal.”

“I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for them to be without a direction,” Schaible said. “To stay during all the turmoil, a lot of different people may have abandoned ship with the negative press, but the people that have stayed there, ... they’re afloat.”

But George Stone of FMG Feed & Seed in New Underwood isn’t convinced progress is being made.

Stone was a vocal supporter of former director Steve Hawley, and in 2008, he donated 1,920 pounds of dog and cat food to the humane society, the largest donation in recent years.

But he has since stopped donating to the shelter, deciding this year to support a no-kill shelter in Utah.

“We did that and changed up because we weren’t happy with the direction of Black Hills,” Stone said. “I just wasn’t going to support them in that way until they change their views.”

Stone believes the problems begin and end with the board, and he doesn’t

understand how the shelter can operate without an executive director to guide the ship.

“It’s all smoke and mirrors,” Stone said. “As long as Black Hills Humane Society is there, the stigma of the last three years will be very hard to cover up. I just see misstep after misstep after misstep, and to me, that’s just a shame.”

But Schaible said now is the time for the community to step up.

“This is when they need the community,” Schaible said. “They need the

donations. They need the people to step up and foster. They need the people to step up and shampoo dogs and walk dogs.

“These are our community’s pets that they’re trying to help.”