LARGO — Maureen Freaney, the head of Pinellas County Animal Services, says she's leaving the job and county government because she's decided to move in a new direction.
"I made a two-year commitment to county administration to direct Animal Services, help stabilize the department, and ensure implementation of best practices," Freaney wrote Thursday in her resignation letter. "As that personal and professional commitment comes to a close, I am proud of what the Animal Services team has accomplished within this time frame.
"Although I have decided to move in a different direction, I do want to recognize and thank the Animal Services team."
Freaney, 58, repeated those sentiments in an email she sent Thursday evening to Animal Services volunteers. She attached a list of accomplishments made during her two-year tenure. High on the list was the shelter's selection last month as the outstanding agency of the year for 2014 by the Florida Animal Control Association and the naming of Pinellas animal control Officer Jodey Stambaugh as the animal control officer of the year.
Despite saying she wants to move in a different direction, Freaney said Friday that she has no solid plans for her future other than taking some down time for herself. Her tenure at Animal Services, she said, was personally and professionally challenging.
"It was much more challenging than I could ever have imagined," she said.
Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodard said he was not entirely surprised by Freaney's decision. He had heard a couple of weeks ago, he said, that she was thinking of retiring.
"From my perspective, Moe has done an excellent job," Woodard said.
He cited statistics showing the number of adoptions are up and strong partnerships with other animal welfare agencies in Pinellas such as the SPCA Tampa Bay as recent successes.
Animal Services is one of the county's highest-profile departments with an overall budget of about $4.9 million, according to county records. Located in Largo, it runs the largest open-admission shelter for dogs and cats in Pinellas. It's also responsible for rabies control, animal bite investigations, dangerous dog investigations, pet licensing, kennel permitting, code enforcement, and cruelty investigations. It also provides pet adoptions. Last year, Animal Services took in 12,908 dogs and cats. It has about 53 employees.
County Commissioner Ken Welch said Friday that Freaney has taken on some tough assignments during her 8½ years with the county, from being the administrator over health and human services and the emergency medical services system to heading Animal Services' daily operations.
"She has always approached those with integrity and professionalism," Welch said. "I am appreciative for her service."
Martha Boden, CEO of the SPCA, said, "It's good for her. It's a wonderful life change for her. (But) it's sad."
Dan Hester, one of the founders of Meow Now, which provides spaying, neutering and vaccinations for feral cats in Pinellas, said he was skeptical when Freaney first took over Animal Services because she had no background in animal welfare.
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Explore all your options"As I worked with her, I grew to like Moe and gained a tremendous amount of respect for her," Hester said. "I'm going to be sorry to see her go."
Freaney took the job about two years ago after a two-year stint as an assistant county administrator overseeing EMS and other departments. Then-County Administrator Bob LaSala cut her position and pay and moved her to Animal Services. At the time, Animal Services was in turmoil and riddled with problems.
The agency's director had resigned after he was accused of making vulgar comments to employees. A May 2011 investigation by the Tampa Bay Times found that more than a quarter of the department's 47 employees had been disciplined during the preceding five years. The problems ranged from minor to deadly negligence and included an incident in which one animal control officer put four kittens into a trap on a hot day to try to lure their mother. One kitten died and two others had to be euthanized after they suffered heat exhaustion. In August 2011, the agency's director resigned and was temporarily replaced by Will Davis, who had most recently run the county's risk management office.
Freaney's tenure has had its rocky moments. The agency's veterinarian resigned in late 2013 to go into private practice. Some volunteers, or former volunteers, have written emails complaining of her treatment of them and the animals. Freaney on Friday described feeling "villainized" by "venomous" attacks that were both "personal" and "basically lying."
It is unclear who will next lead Animal Services. Woodard said he'll first concentrate on finding someone within the agency to act on an interim basis. Then, he said, he plans to talk with other animal welfare groups for their thoughts on the qualities Freaney's replacement might need.
Contact Anne Lindberg at alindberg@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8450. Follow @alindbergtimes.