x
Breaking News
More () »

Former St. Louis County Animal Control manager sues for termination, retaliation for using First Amendment

"I am seriously seriously concerned for the well being of the animals and the staff."
Credit: Mandy Ryan

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Once excited to jump on board as the new Animal Population Manager at the St. Louis County Animal Care and Control Center, Mandy Ryan is now suing St. Louis County for her termination. 

The county has declined to comment on the matter, calling it a personnel and legal matter.

The case is pending, but she believes it was based off retaliation for using her First Amendment.

With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Ryan was told she was hired for her expertise and connections with other rescues. 

She ran and continues to run her dog training business, Mandy K9 LLC and helps run Missouri K9.

Credit: Mandy Ryan

"When I took the position with St. Louis County, my sole motivation was to make the shelter a better place for the animals, employees, and citizens of St. Louis County," Ryan said. 

This hire at the end of 2019 came after audits, lawsuits, protests and volunteers being told they would need to reapply if they wanted to help.  

RELATED: 'I'm ready to jump on board' | New hire hopes to bring change to St. Louis County Animal Control

RELATED: Federal lawsuit filed against St. Louis County by animal control volunteers who are being forced to reapply

Ryan said on the first day of the job, there were 400 animals in the building. Dogs in the back weren’t getting walked at all. 

"Enrichment was really, really bad," Ryan said. She also said the shelter was so full, there were really big dogs in small cages. 

Staff morale was low, there was hostility between volunteers and staff, and hostility between shelters and rescues. 

"Rescues were refusing to pull from the shelter. The main issue that I saw was staff were overworked and overwhelmed and there were too many animals for the staff that they had," Ryan added.

She also explained the euthanasia numbers were concerning. 

"They were euthanizing anywhere from 30-50%+. That was the only way to get rid of animals," Ryan said.

Within a month of starting, Ryan said she and the team were able to cut the euthanasia numbers in half. They got down to the 150s in January 2020.

The live release rate shot up to 90%, which is a no-kill status. Ryan said they kept those numbers the entire year. 

She claimed her goal was to repair relationships between rescues, build morale and be transparent with the community. 

"There were a lot of decisions made behind the scenes with county council and management that I didn’t agree with, it was not in the best interest of the animals. I started using my voice. I told them why and used my First Amendment and spoke at county council meetings," she said.

Ryan now believes that's why she was terminated on Dec. 11, 2020. 

"I had a target on my back and I was retaliated for a year and they tried to push me out. It was the most hostile work environment I’ve ever worked in. They did not like me using my voice at all," Ryan said.

Her lawsuit is pending, but right now she said she's worried.

"I am seriously, seriously concerned for the well being of the animals and the staff. The staff in there who care about the animals don’t have a voice. A lot of them have resigned, but some left inside are trying to save the animals. I know there’s a pandemic going on, but there are a lot of issues there that should be taken seriously," she said.

Tracy Rumpf, who's a concerned citizen, also spoke at council meetings talking about the conditions. 

"Mandy completely changed that place when she got there. These animals do not deserve what is being done to them. So many dogs are not getting walked at all in a 24-hour period. They are forced to urinate and defecate in their kennel, ending up lying in their urine and feces. Animal abuse case dogs who have been brought in because the owner has neglected or abused the dogs are being given back to their owners. These dogs don’t have a chance," Rumpf said.

Melissa Roussin, a volunteer who's also been vocal added, "The animals are not getting two walks a day because volunteers are limited. We're all worried about the animals."

Annie Sandfort with Diamonds in the Ruff Rescue doesn't pull dogs from the shelter anymore. 

"The rescues are not worked with efficiently, I feel. The morale there is awful. I cry at night thinking about how terrible it is there with no walks or enrichment," she said.

5 On Your Side reached out to the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and County Executive Sam Page's office for an interview. A spokesperson responded, "We have no comment at this time as it is a personnel and legal matter."

Before You Leave, Check This Out