Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society director resigns

Published 10:45 am Monday, June 4, 2018

The director of the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society has resigned after 10 months at the shelter.

Rumors of Angela Avery’s resignation started to appear on local animal activist websites with several sharing a screenshot of Avery thanking the staff at the shelter for their hard work.

On Thursday, Lafayette County Supervisor Chad McClarty, who sits on the OLHS board of directors, said it was his “understanding” that Avery had resigned.

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The shelter emailed the EAGLE a statement that said the matter was a personnel issue and had no further comment.

Avery was hired to head up the shelter 10 months ago after the former director and several employees walked out due to internal struggles between the staff and the Board of Directors.

The Oxford Board of Aldermen only renewed the contract it holds with OLHS for animal control services for three months in August, requiring several changes that included holding regular, open meetings with notice given as to the time, date and location of the meetings; conducting board meetings following Robert’s Rules of Order; keeping minutes that are available for public viewing and allowing the city and Lafayette County to attend the meetings as liaisons.

The board voted again in November to renew the contract for a year after several improvements were made.

One of the complaints by former staff and concerned citizens made last summer was the board of directors reluctance in transporting shelter animals to other shelters.

However, in May, Avery reported to the board that the shelter has partnered with the ASPCA to become a designated source shelter, where the ASPCA transport animal from the OLHS every two weeks to another shelter somewhere else in the country where the demand for shelter pets is higher, making more adoptions possible.

Avery did not deny her resignation when contacted by the EAGLE but so far has not made any additional comments as to the reason for her departure.