Head of Anne Arundel County Animal Control ‘separated’ from agency
Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control Administrator Robin Catlett “separated” from the agency Thursday, county police said.
“Ms. Catlett has separated from her employment with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Animal Care & Control Section,” said Marc Limansky, Anne Arundel County Police Department spokesperson in an email Friday, adding later that the separation took place Thursday.
Limansky declined to answer questions about whether Catlett resigned or was fired as well as why she is leaving after 13 years, saying the department is “unable to provide details on personnel matters.”
This comes a year after The Capital reported on allegations from former employees that animals at the shelter were being overmedicated to make them appear calmer to potential adopters. Catlett denied the allegations. Several staff members cited a perceived tendency of Catlett’s to prioritize adopting animals out over public safety as part of their reason for leaving the agency.
Catlett declined a request for comment and directed questions to her attorney, Zachary Aman from the Spiggle Law Firm, a Virginia-based firm specializing in labor and employment. Aman declined a request for comment.
The Capital also reached out to the Animal Welfare Council and the Animal Matters Commission, two agency oversight boards, and did not receive an immediate response for comment.
A records request filed by The Capital in early May inquiring about Catlett’s status at animal control was denied. Anne Budowski, the county’s personnel director, responded that “records related to an employer’s investigation of alleged misconduct and employee-related information generated as a result of allegations contained in a complaint that was filed against the employee [remain a] mandatory exemption” from public records law. The Capital’s request was for county staff emails mentioning the word suspension and Catlett’s name.
Friends of Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control, the volunteer arm of the agency, took to Facebook late last week to express their dismay.
“We are shocked to our core and deeply saddened by the abrupt departure of Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control’s longtime administrator, Robin Catlett, who both literally and figuratively put the word ‘care’ into a shelter that before her arrival had a reputation as the place where unwanted animals went to die,” the organization wrote in a post.
Council member Amanda Fiedler, an Arnold Republican, said she was “shocked” by the news at Monday night’s council meeting. Fiedler represents the part of Millersville where the Animal Control facility is located.
“I share in your disappointment and concern over what I am hearing transpired,” Fiedler said Monday night, declining to elaborate. “I will do all I can to get answers to the questions regarding her abrupt departure.”
Fiedler added that she enjoyed working with Catlett and described her as going “above and beyond” for the animals in the county’s care as well as the agency’s staff.