By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Animal Services Director David Weatherford probably won’t win any popularity contests, but a clearer picture of how he thinks emerged at Tuesday’s Levy County Commission meeting when he shouted a rude remark at Spotlight Founder Linda Cooper as he left the room.
Cooper had just sat down after raising questions about Weatherford’s qualifications to run the department and how he treats dogs that are kept at the kennel awaiting adoption and euthanasia.
Weatherford, who had just given a quarterly report showing 215 animals had been euthanized from March to June, didn’t answer any of Cooper’s questions. Chairman Matt Brooks asked her to submit the questions to the county office. She has submitted the questions.
On his way out of the room, Weatherford yelled across the auditorium at Cooper and waved to her with a smirk on his face, saying “Goodbye Ms. Cooper.”
Commissioner Rock Meeks later apologized in a private message to Cooper for Weatherford’s behavior.
“On behalf of the county, I apologize that this happened. We are more professional than that,” Meeks said.
“Thank you,” Cooper wrote to Meeks. “This is normal aggressive behavior David has always demonstrated. He is unqualified to be the director. He is abusive to employees, citizens, and animals. For the taxpayers to pay out $93,642.73 for salary and benefits annually for him is outrageous. Crystal, Doc (Dr. Darlene Esler), and Nathan run the shelter but are subjected to David’s bad acts, incompetence, and bad reputation. The best thing that could happen for EVERYONE is for him to retire after 35 years of doing nothing and getting paid for it. It needs to stop! But you already know he should have been fired years ago.”
“I thank u for your feedback,” Meeks responded.
Prior to the incident involving Weatherford, Cooper asked a number of questions about the operation of Animal Services including how much it costs to euthanize 215 animals.
“How are the bodies disposed of?” she said.
Cooper said a volunteer at Animal Services who posts pictures of animals up for adoption had messaged the public, “New intakes at completely full Animal Services! Please come collect your dogs ASAP!”
She questioned why Animal Services doesn’t have more convenient hours for the public and why it accepts cash only for payment.
“By your authority, operating hours are 8-4, M-F, and cash only. Most of the public works 8-5 not including their commute time. Why are you cash only? Why have you decided to open 8-5 when most of the working class cannot pick up their animal? Obviously, this is a bad business model and not working for the public.”
She also asked:
“As the director, what have you done to expand the spay/neuter program to help stop the over-population of dogs and cats as a prevention to the crisis of too many dogs and cats? The taxpayers pay for a full-time vet, but she can’t do it alone. When was the last time you called UF College of Veterinarian Medicine for interns to help assist Doc and expand the spay/neuter program? What other agencies have you reached out to for help? Have you applied for grants for assistance?”
When Cooper mentioned Doc, she was talking about Animal Services Veterinarian Darlene Esler. She wasn’t aware at the time of her presentation that Esler had resigned on July 21.
“How and when are dogs let out of their concrete kennel and exercised? Do you have a program for that or do the dogs stay in the concrete kennel indefinitely?” she asked.
Cooper added, “Who should the taxpayer hold responsible for this blatant disregard for the public’s ability to adopt or retrieve animals at the shelter?”
Cooper has volunteered at the shelter. For the past 15 years, she said she has seen volunteers come and go begging for more help to expand the spay and neuter program and better conditions at the shelter.
Her questions hadn’t been answered at the time this story was posted.
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BoCC Regular Meeting July 25, 2023; Posted July 29, 2023
