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A longtime Sonoma County employee has taken over accounting and budget duties in a new job at the county’s embattled Animal Care and Control division.
Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Neville.
Cindy Williams, formerly an analyst in the Information Systems Department and a 19-year county employee, started in her new position as operations manager with Animal Care and Control this week, county officials announced late Thursday.
Her hiring was in the works for months, according to Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Neville. It had “absolutely nothing to do” with the removal this week. of Amy Cooper, Animal Care and Control’s director, Neville said.
Neville oversees Animal Care and Control. She said Williams’ job was created partly from a vacant position in the department.
Williams will handle administrative, budgetary and supervisory duties. She will report directly to Bob Garcia, who was tapped by Neville to lead Animal Care and Control while a replacement for Cooper is found.
Williams’ new salary is $74,568. Her former salary in Information Systems was $71,340.
The search for a new director to replace Cooper will begin in August, Neville said.
— Brett Wilkison
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@Cindy Marabito
Wow, your unsavory experience is run of the mill for all of us tax paying dog owners here in Sonoma County. We step in for a moment too, our dogs get loose too, and we have to pay to get our animal released. But not you. It seems as though your organization believes your time is more valuable than the Sonoma County residents, your foster person shouldn’t have to keep a close eye on his charge and your rescued pit are better than our pets. I am surprised they didn’t throw the word “elitist” your way.
I have a rescued dog from Animal Control. I have had only great experiences with the shelter. Amy Cooper has cut the kill rates in this shelter for ALL BREEDS. Under her leadership the shelter finally has begun to work well with the Humane Society and many rescue groups in our area. Even the gloomy atmosphere seems to have lifted.
I come away from the condensed version of your story with questions. I wonder about the credibility of your 501(c)(3) rescue organization, the capability of your staff and foster people and your organizations accountability. Thank heavens no one was bitten, whose fault would of it have been then? The law is the law, your dog was stray. It is not an Animal Shelter problem you were unable to control your charge. A credible organization would be prepared for any situation and know when and how accept responsibility. Instead of waxing on about YOUR DOG, YOUR BAD EXPIRIENCE and YOUR $500, read the documentation and articles pertaining to the shelter. Maybe even take a tour or talk to the public. The improvement is undeniable and speaks for itself.
As a former Marin County resident and longtime lover of all things Northern California, it saddens me to see this sort of situation develop.
I am an ardent “wacko” (as a few have described) – a person committed to seeing animal sheltering improve and killing eliminated.
But it seems Amy Cooper, from all that I’m reading, really was trying but was stuck between a rock and a hard place: improving a government-run pound with existing employees and working to better the operation to satisfy local rescuers. Man, that’s a challenge!
As an outspoken critic of shelters in general I have no desire to protect Amy here, but to the rescuers’ comments I have to respond by writing that one year sure ain’t much time – especially in government-time.
I sure hope the next person is smart enough to get a no-probation/no-fire clause and also has the credibility to bring together the rescue community and the shelter workers.
Cathy Neville, I also hope you learn to deal with people more gently and with some compassion. These are caring, passionate people – on both sides. I served with the fiercest warriors in the world in Special Forces and I have to say, you are one cold-hearted tough cookie!
Does this mean our county shelter is (was) in the business of extortion? Jasmine wouldn’t happen to be a Pit Bull, would she?
Thank you for your hard work. I had a very unsavory experience with Sonoma County ACC recently. One of my rescue dogs was being fostered in Sonoma County. Long story short, the foster stepped inside his home for a moment while Jasmine was in the front yard. She managed to get out and was impounded by ACC.
The gentleman was told within one hour he needed over $500 to retrieve Jasmine. It took three day and valuable rescue time speaking with Amy Cooper and Cathy Fenn to finally get Jasmine back.
I was astounded at the treatment this citizen and our 501(c)(3) rescue received. Words like ‘hoarding’ were thrown about and I left the situation quite shaken and disturbed. I couldn’t help but think of all the animals who wind up in that shelter and do not have the benefit of a rescue to go to bat for them. Three days in California shelter time is a lot of time to waste when considering the number of animals being put to sleep.
Thank you for stepping up to the plate and doing something about a bad situation. I hope to see a big change in the way animals and their saviors will be treated in Sonoma County.
Cindy Marabito
Reunion Rescue
Animals First Rescue
Keep up the great work, Cathy. There are a number of us in the animal welfare community that back your decision. I find it disturbing how those here think there is some sort of conspiracy against Amy Cooper. It’s time you got back to work caring for the animals at the shelter and preparing yourselves to meet your new boss instead of planning your vendetta against Cathy Neville for doing her job. I’m sure there are plenty people in the wings ready to take your job if you’re so unhappy where you’re at. Who’s the real wacko?
Cathy neville states that “it had absolutely nothing to do with the removal of Amy Cooper this week”,,,,
Rest assurred, Cathy Neville, your removal will have ABSOLUTELY everything to do with the removal of Amy Cooper.
Good luck to Ms. Williams. Hopefully, she had full knowledge about the difficulties of working for Ms. Neville and the number of staff who have left the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office since Ms. Neville took charge.