OC Animal Care, an agency that has faced much criticism the past few years for its shelter policies, has a new director, but one who is already familiar with animal welfare in the county.
County officials announced Wednesday, April 10, that Monica Schmidt has been selected to lead the department, following nearly a year of serving as its interim director. Along with running the county’s shelter in Tustin, the department provides animal control services for 14 contract cities an in unincorporated areas.
Schmidt joined OC Animal Care in 2020 as its assistant director. She started filling in as director in May when the previous director took a leave.
“Schmidt has over 16 years of high-volume shelter experience and has played a critical role at OC Animal Care since 2020,” OC Supervisor Don Wagner said in a statement. “Her industry knowledge, leadership and passion for animal welfare have been evident throughout her tenure, making her the most qualified candidate for the position.”
Animal advocates in recent years have challenged several of the animal shelter’s policies, including restrictions on visitors walking among the kennels without an appointment and strategies for addressing street cats and animals with behavior problems. There were also complaints about under staffing.
Schmidt said it’s important to have an open-door policy. Everyone has different opinions about how the animal shelter should be run, she said, and her job is to bring a variety of community members to the table to find solutions.
“We as OC Animal Care are just one piece of the puzzle to caring for animals in our community,” Schmidt said. “Where do our goals overlap? Where do they align? How can we work together and find those commonalities and find a way to really focus on the animals who need all of us?”
The shelter closed public viewing at the onset of the pandemic, but didn’t resume access to the kennels even as most coronavirus precautions were lifted. Instead,…
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