Bradley County SPCA board grows

Volunteer Angela Kimsey takes a moment to visit with a cat while she cleans up at the SPCA of Bradley County Animal Shelter.
Volunteer Angela Kimsey takes a moment to visit with a cat while she cleans up at the SPCA of Bradley County Animal Shelter.

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Bradley County has welcomed County Commissioner Thomas Crye to its board of directors.

Crye is one of two county-appointed representatives on the SPCA board; Commissioner Dan Rawls, who has served as a board member-at-large since August, was also designated as a county appointment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If interested in serving on the SPCA board of directors, email a statement of interest and resume to treasurer@spcaofbradleycountytn.org. To learn more about the organization, visit spcaofbradleycountytn.org.

The SPCA provides animal sheltering services to Bradley County in accordance with an $80,000 annual agreement. The contract calls for the SPCA to accept two county-appointed representatives to its board of directors.

In a recent meeting, Crye spelled out his intentions for serving with the board, which now numbers six members.

"I'll try my best to work with you and give you the support I think you deserve," said Crye. "I look forward to ensuring that the county's contract with the SPCA is followed and complied with."

Crye and Rawls replace commissioners Mark Hall and Charlotte Peak, who served as the county appointees during the first year of the SPCA agreement.

Peak abruptly resigned from the board during an August meeting in which then-shelter director Bobbi Anderson was publicly fired by a divided board.

Hall completed his one-year term in December, but was absent from most, if not all, board meetings shortly after the addition of several new board members, including Rawls, former county commissioner Ed Elkins and county school board member Chris Turner.

Board member Betti Gravelle, director of Dixie Day Spay, has also been absent from a number of board meetings in recent months.

Gravelle served as board president until the election of Elkins in September and is the sole remaining founding board member.

She was not present at the November meeting in which the board voted it could no longer strictly adhere to the SPCA's original "no-kill" policy due to limitations on funding, space and personnel.

A shelter capacity of 40 dogs and 30 cats, which became effective Jan. 1, was also approved during that meeting,

Those decisions were difficult and heartbreaking, said Turner.

Gravelle was also absent from a recent special called meeting in which the board gave approval for Elkins to make an offer to a candidate for the shelter's manager of operations.

The shelter has been supervised by an interim manager since September.

In July, Gravelle said she would not support any attempt to set a capacity on the shelter's animal population, nor would she support euthanasia of animals for space.

Gravelle has not responded to recent requests for comment.

In early January, the SPCA board approved a measure that would allow the body to remove a member for consistent absences, said Elkins.

The board is still interested in new applicants, especially if they have business, management or animal shelter experience, Elkins said.

Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Contact him atpaul.leach.press@gmail.com.

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