Former CASPCA staffers still waiting for contact

By Courteney Stuart

More than a week after the board of the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA announced an independent investigation into allegations of a hostile workplace and poor conditions for animals, a former staffer says neither she nor other former staff and volunteers have been contacted by McGuire Woods, the law firm retained to conduct the investigation.

“I’m still worried that there’s some conflict of interest,” said Katie Roche, a former adoption and animal care coordinator who worked at the shelter under Executive Director Angie Gunter from 2018 to 2021.

A Jan. 17 letter sent to the CASPCA board and released to the public, initially signed by 57 anonymous former and current staff and volunteers, outlined concerns about Gunter’s management and called for her to be placed on administrative  leave during an investigation. 

After the board’s initial response  expressed support for Gunter and doubts about the veracity of the allegations, Courtney Ott, the former adoption care manager, tendered her immediate resignation. Two protests have been held outside the shelter’s headquarters on Berkmar Drive.

A Feb. 8 open letter from a group of former staffers and volunteers who have organized on Facebook under the name  CASPCA Concerns objected to the board’s initial response to the letter and continued support of Gunter. That statement was signed by 103 people who used their names.

“The Board, donors, and the Charlottesville-Albemarle community should know that many people with first-hand knowledge of Ms. Gunter’s management practices and the operations at CASPCA are willing to sign their names to their concerns. 

Gunter remains on the job, however, and Roche says that also concerns her.

“I wonder if that will affect how truthful the current staff will be,” she said.

Both the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County contract with CASPCA to serve as the public pound. The city paid $299,000 this year, according to the current budget, while the County paid $699,000 for the service.

Albemarle County Supervisor Donna Price says she’s paying close attention and is waiting for a report from the independent investigation as well as a recent inspection by the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

WINA has requested comment from both McGuire Woods and a state spokesperson and has not yet received a response.