Veterinarian no longer with Pueblo animal shelter amid investigation
Dr. Joel Brubaker is no longer with Community Animal Services of Pueblo amid an investigation into the shelter.
Last Friday, it was announced that the Colorado Department of Agriculture is currently conducting an investigation into Pueblo’s animal shelter. It’s not yet clear if Brubaker was fired or if he resigned. He was hired by Paws for Life to be the staff veterinarian.
Specifics surrounding the investigation are still unclear on Monday, but shelter staff are speaking out.
Staff from Paws for Life, a Pueblo no-kill shelter who took over as the city and county’s vendor for the shelter earlier year, are taking the investigation as a learning experience.
“We regard this as an opportunity to better care for our animals,” said Ruth McDonald the President of the Board of Animal Welfare and Protection Society. “It helps us know some things we need to do but we are going to look at it as an opportunity to help our animals.”
McDonald says they are fully cooperating with the investigation.
Last Friday, investigators with the Colorado Department of Agriculture along with a police escort came to inspect the Community Animal Services of Pueblo facility and look into its records.
Since then, an inspection report has been written and shared with the shelter. Staff say the report has already led to change.
“We are taking steps that were recommended in the report and we have taken some personnel steps as well,” said McDonald, likely alluding to Brubaker’s departure.
McDonald would not go into specifics on what those steps and what personnel changes were made, but did say many of them were easy fixes.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture would not share their findings publicly as the investigation is still ongoing.
The shelter remains fully operational, and the animals remain their top priority. It is unclear if the animals’ well-being played any role in how this investigation got started.
In a Facebook post, the animal shelter pointed to anonymous tips as the reasoning for why the department of agriculture started the investigation.
“We are dedicated to the health and welfare of our animals,” said McDonald when asked if the shelter animals had ever been in harm’s way since they took over at the beginning of this year.
Pueblo County Commissioners would not answer questions at this time until the investigation has concluded.
When asked if the shelter would come out of this investigation unscathed McDonald said they look at this as an opportunity to improve.
In a recent report, the shelter’s save rate raised from 88 percent to 95 percent since Paws for Life took over as the city and county shelter’s vendor at the beginning of this year.
