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The director, Dr. Kanika Cunningham, said Thursday she鈥檚 a new leader with new ideas for the shelter, which has been run by the Animal Protective Association for the county the past two years but will become a county operation again in February.

She promised to revamp the volunteer program to involve county employees, and to do it as quickly as possible.

She wants to expand community education around pet ownership and create new programs. And she vowed to not use euthanasia to control the shelter鈥檚 population, a key concern from shelter advocates.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been some false narratives created based on past history,鈥� Cunningham said in a health department budget hearing. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not me. That鈥檚 not my leadership. That鈥檚 not the direction I鈥檓 telling my team.鈥�

Cunningham鈥檚 decision to pause the volunteer program as she enacts her new vision quickly set off concerns earlier this month among a passionate group of shelter advocates and County Council members who remember the state of the shelter before the APA took over. Euthanasia scandals, cleanliness, animal welfare and lawsuits troubled the county for years.

Cunningham addressed some of the concerns at the hearing Thursday before the council.

She鈥檚 working with the county鈥檚 legal department to launch an employee volunteer program quickly, though she couldn鈥檛 say if it would be ready when the APA hands over operations Feb. 21. County workers would walk dogs and do other jobs at the shelter, possibly on paid county time. They could volunteer elsewhere, too.

Councilwoman Rita Heard Days, a Bel-Nor Democrat, was skeptical of the idea. The current shelter volunteers want to be there, she said. She worried that county employees would feel obliged to be there.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a different mindset,鈥� Days said.

Cunningham also said she wants the shelter to be a training ground for future veterinarians. Additionally, she wants to partner with groups that offer recovery or crisis housing. Animals could help support people who suffer from domestic violence or substance abuse disorder. And animals could provide company to older residents who feel isolated.

鈥淏efore, we were just running an animal shelter and not being intentional about how animals can be not only cared for, but how we can use animals and humans, and that intersection, to address overall welfare for the community,鈥� Cunningham said.

Cunningham also promised not to use euthanasia for population control, an issue that has troubled the county in the past. She said some animals must be euthanized for health or safety reasons, but they won鈥檛 be killed just because they can鈥檛 be adopted or 鈥渄o well in the community.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not best practice. That鈥檚 not good practice, and we鈥檙e not going to do that,鈥� Cunningham said.

But council members remained concerned about the immediate impact of losing the volunteer program. Democratic Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, of Maplewood, said she鈥檚 worried that without volunteers, the shelter and its animals will suffer.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e asked us to trust you with this,鈥� Clancy said to Cunningham. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a tall ask considering what many of us have seen.鈥�

Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, a Democrat from North County, chimed in on Cunningham鈥檚 behalf.

鈥淭hat happened before Dr. Cunningham. We鈥檙e gonna trust and grace Dr. Cunningham and her team to do the programs,鈥� Webb said.

Days remained skeptical. When concerned volunteers line up to speak during the public comment period in council meetings, as they鈥檝e already started doing, she鈥檒l look to Cunningham for answers, she said.

鈥淲hen these people start lining up out there, and they come looking at me, I鈥檓 gonna be looking at you,鈥� Days said.