OC County Officials Are Failing Our Furry Friends

Dear Editor:

Dedicated OC Animal Care (OCAC) volunteers are sounding the alarm. The fourth in a series of letters sent by a group of volunteers to county officials, shows that shelter director Monica Schmidt is lying to cover up her failure (to view previous letters please go to OCShelter.com). Under Schmidt, innocent animals are losing their lives, the result of sub-standard care and inadequate adoption opportunities.

A 2023 report by the OC Grand Jury (pgs 5 & 14-16) documented the understaffing in animal care attendants (ACAs), the conscientious frontline staff responsible for the day-to-day care of "hundreds of dogs, cats, kittens, and other animals.” Instead of addressing the problem, Schmidt has resorted to false statements to cover it up.

Speaking on this topic at the Aug.13 Board of Supervisors meeting (please go to 2 minutes into meeting), Schmidt surmised that about 90 out of 137 staff positions handle animals. A slick diversion, say the volunteers, "The Grand Jury wasn’t asking about everyone who ‘assists with the care of animals' ... They were asking about the frontline staff who provide direct daily care.”

The volunteers offer a stark breakdown of the staffing numbers. At the time of the Grand Jury report, there were only 21 ACA positions. The county’s own consultants recommended having 52 (two weekly shifts of 26 each). Can 21 staff members do the work of 52?

Shockingly, the volunteers point out, "the number has only gone DOWN.” What’s the trend? “We’ve gone from 32 in 2017 to barely 19 today.” This significant drop in staffing levels means the shelter cannot provide industry-standard care. Dogs don’t get daily out-of-kennel time, big dogs are rarely socialized, smaller dogs are kept out of view. Adoption visits are rushed or delayed, which leads to fewer adoptions. All of these factors mean additional stress and more animals at risk.

The letter states Schmidt "tries to divert attention away from the problem at hand” by lumping together various staff classifications rather than addressing the specific shortage of animal care attendants. “You’ve been lied to,” warn the volunteers. Schmidt "has done what she does best and told you a story about staffing that simply isn’t true.”

Schmidt also claimed that the shelter’s volunteer program makes up for the lack of staff. Another distraction. Volunteers are neither trained nor permitted to do most staff tasks. On top of that, Schmidt came up with an inflated number of active volunteers, ignoring the fact that many volunteers are there only sporadically. Public records show that 100 or fewer volunteers fulfilled the required minimum service. Schmidt claimed 400 volunteers. No one knows how she came up with that.

Schmidt has a "penchant for making up numbers." Their letter urges the Board of Supervisors to investigate further and to "send a clear message to Monica Schmidt that lies will not be tolerated." Her failure to address these critical staffing issues directly impacts the care of the animals.

The letter concludes with a powerful call for action. On paper, the shelter has a Strategic Plan created in 2018 by national experts at a cost to taxpayers of over $400,000. Schmidt “refuses to abide by that document.” Instead, county bureaucrats claim they need a new plan, at additional taxpayer cost. And what good is a new plan? Schmidt and the bureaucrats will disregard it, just like they are disregarding the current plan.

These concerned volunteers paint a troubling picture of mismanagement, understaffing, and a lack of accountability at the shelter. County officials must urgently act and require the shelter to fulfill its mission and meet our community’s standards. As the letter states, “the animals and frontline staff deserve better.”

New revelations surfaced since the volunteers’ letter, it appears that Schmidt grossly inflated her qualifications in her job application. This certainly explains the combination of ignorance and disinformation that are the hallmarks of her management style.

Please voice your concerns to those who are responsible for the injustices caused to the homeless animals of Orange County by contacting your local officials and sharing this concise leaflet with other OC residents.

Margot Boyer

Yorba Linda