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By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Sonoma County’s former Animal Care and Control director confirmed Monday that she will apply to get her old job back, nearly six months after her controversial firing galvanized her supporters and led to the agency she once ran being re-organized.
“I want to continue to be an effective administrator in a place where those abilities and skills can make a difference. I believe that place is Sonoma County,” Amy Cooper said.
Amy Cooper
Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Neville fired Cooper on July 12, two days before Cooper’s yearlong probationary status was to expire.
Neville’s action, which she has never publicly explained, sparked a public outcry and calls for Cooper to be re-instated.
A majority of county supervisors voted in September to transfer the animal care division to the Health Services Department, a move that dramatically reduced the Ag Commissioner’s budget and personnel.
Cooper and her attorney sought mediation with the county to try to get her old job back. But those talks broke down when county officials alerted Cooper that she would have to apply for the job as if she had never had it.
Cooper on Monday said she intends to formally submit her application by Sunday’s deadline. “I’ve completed it but I haven’t hit send yet,” she said.
Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, the county’s public health officer, said the recruitment for a new animal care director involves a “very structured process” and that she is hoping “to get some strong candidates for the position.”
Cooper said she believes she can lead animal control again despite the controversy that engulfed her and the department after she was let go.
“The last six months have been difficult and obviously, after watching the machinations with the county, I’m going into this cautiously and with my eyes wide open,” she said.
Cooper said she has applied for other job openings but she declined to say where.
She also studied for and passed a test to become a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, something she hopes will give her an advantage over other applicants for the Sonoma County vacancy.
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Hey Jeff, you’re right.
Funny how Beefking mentions a lawsuit. Great idea, sue the county and cost the taxpayers even more money. Wondering if any of Ms Coopers suppoters back that idea. This whole thing has gone on far to long. Someone should have been hired long ago whether it was by Neville or the BOS.
Whatever happened to that Pit Bull puppy that was adopted out with a broken leg? No one seems know where she went. Or the 200 plus dogs that got shipped out to drop euthanasia rates?
“Jeff” you have no idea what you are talking about, the shelter staff loves Amy, she worked wonders on the publics perception of the county shelter, I thought that anyone with an ounce of common sense could see that. “really”, you are correct, she increased animals adopted and decreased animals euth’ed.
Seriously, “Jeff”, do you think the public believes Amy is a liar? Give me a break. Its apparent you have never spoken to staff or spent time working at the animal shelter. If you had, you would know that Amy did lower the euthanasia rate and increased adoptions.If I didn’t know better I would think that you, “Jeff”, are really Cathy Neville trying to save her behind before Tues review. Lies never prevail only the truth does.
Amy Cooper better not be hired back – she lied in her presentation to the supervisory council and falsified reports that indicated a nonexistent drop in euthanasia and a false increase in adoptions.
The supervisors know this and had better not renege on their support of Cooper’s dismissal.
The departmental transfer was nothing more than a sham and a very thinly-veiled knee jerk response to uninformed citizens.
Do not bring that liar back.
Of Course Amy Cooper should get her job back, for these reasons alone:
1. Should have never lost her job in the first place.
2. 90% of the staff and management of the Ag Dept. signed a letter sent to the BOS asking to reinstate Cooper.
3. County would have never reinstated as this shows an admission of guilt.
That’s why I think Amy has to go through the hiring process. But if the county has any integrity at all, rehire her!!!
I challenge the county to do the right thing!!!
A better title for this article should have been…. COOPER DESERVES HER JOB BACK!
Thanks for asking about the DUI follow up.Please come and show your support for Cathy Nevilles DUI hearing on january 10th. Be sure not to confuse the date with her performance evaluation on january 11th.
Amy Cooper deserves her job back and the people of this county deserve to have her back. She did an excellent job in an extremely tough position — a position that is difficult enough without having a wacky boss who fired her for no articulable reason. It’s time for the County to — finally — do the right thing and hire Amy Cooper back to do what only she has been able to do: inspire staff, reach out to the community and take good care of the animals. Our expectations are high and reasonable — don’t disappoint us again.
“Neville’s action, which she has never publicly explained” – when will it be explained? Why on earth did Neville let her go? I hope we get some anwers to these questions but policy probably will never let it be known. I do hope Cooper gets her job back – it’s stupid that she has to “apply” for it again as if she had never worked as animal care director…what a waste of time and money looking for a better candidate for the position. If I were Cooper, I would be “hesitant” to send my resume and application in too. What a bureaucratic mess.
Re: Dan Delgado: “…would LIKE to hear from Ms. Ferguson”??? I think we should DEMAND to hear from Ms. Ferguson. These people MUST be accountable to the taxpayers, and they have been getting away with this garbage for a long, long time. Their incompetence continues to cost taxpaying homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor litigation expenses every year. It was my understanding that with the departure of Bob Deis, the county had a chance to become an ethical employer again. Apparently not! The garbage still runs quick, and deep – this time, all the way from Solano County.
It is hard to believe that Ms. Cooper was allowed to be abused by her boss in the first place.
The fact that she is still not back at her position speaks volumes about the spineless weasels that sit silently as this fine employee (by everyones account)twists in the wind and her department continues to be dysfunctional due to a lack of leadership.
What is really going on here?
I’d like to see the PD dig into the facts and the county employees (supervisors) who are allowing this farce to continue.
So if Cooper files a lawsuit and wins, and the county has to pay the damages and awards of the suit, will they get off their collective duffs then and do their job, or will they hope we aren’t watching?
You go girl! We all want you back and the administration would be fools not to take you back. There can’t be a better candidate out their, we already know from experience you are the one and only!
The county will never give her her job back. They would rather spend taxpayer money on training a maybe good person, rather than bringing someone on board running whom they already know can do a good job and a respectable job.
Haven’t heard about Neville in awhile. I’m guessing that in spite of having her work responsibilities reduced by the removal of animal control from the AG. Dept., her pay and benefits remain the same. Bet she even has the same administrative staff. Sure would like to hear from Ms. Ferguson on how they justify that.
Any update on her DUI case?