Danville will conduct an assessment of animal services in the city, prompted by community interest in local animal welfare, as controversy continues to surround the local animal shelter.
The plan for an assessment comes two months after a state hearing found recordkeeping inaccuracies at the shelter, and a month after the shelter director resigned from her investigator position with the city.
The city’s municipal shelter, the Danville Area Humane Society, has long been a topic of conversation in the city and has been involved in a string of controversies in recent months.
For years, the shelter has come under fire for its high euthanasia rates. In 2025, the shelter euthanized 59% of the animals it took in, which was its lowest rate in years, while the state average was about 9%. The rates peaked in 2023, when nearly 80% of animals at the Danville shelter were euthanized.
This year, state agencies have found recordkeeping inaccuracies, unclean conditions, improper drug dosages and a lack of veterinary care at the shelter.
In June, shelter director Paulette Dean resigned from her position as the city’s humane investigator, which she had held for 28 years. Her resignation was prompted by a motion from Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman to remove her from the position after she submitted records about investigations and seizures that did “not appear to provide accurate information.”
Dean remains director of the shelter, a position she has held since 1992.
The comprehensive assessment “will be conducted in close collaboration with the Danville Area Humane Society, as well as other stakeholders and community partners,” said City Manager Ken Larking at Tuesday’s city council meeting, when he announced the planned assessment.
The assessment will go beyond an evaluation of the shelter, according to a Wednesday news release.
The city will put out a request for proposals to find a third party to evaluate the full scope of Danville’s companion animal services, including animal control, public health responsibilities, shelter operations and animal welfare programs, the release states.
There’s no official timeline for when the RFP will be released, Larking said in an email Wednesday.
Once it’s made public, there will be a submission period, followed by an evaluation and selection process, he said. After that, the city will hire a vendor and establish a project schedule with projected completion dates.
The city has been a steadfast supporter of the Danville shelter, despite public controversy. It has allocated nearly $440,000 for shelter operations in fiscal year 2027.
“The city has been considering a broader assessment for some time because of community interest in animal services,” the release states. “The city has a core responsibility for protecting the health and safety of its citizens, the assessment will provide information needed to make informed decisions about the future of companion animal services.”
The assessment will build on recent improvements in the city’s animal services, the release said, listing the installation of a new microchip scanner at the police department, increased funding from the city for shelter operations and city assistance with converting shelter records from paper to digital.
