CANYON LAKE, Texas — On Saturday, a couple dozen people gathered across the street from the Canyon Lake Animal Shelter Society (CLASS) to protest alleged animal abuse at the shelter.
Former staff members and volunteers say they witnessed unacceptable treatment of pets, particularly puppies.
“A few of us who had similar experiences started talking to each other,” said Deanna Kaplen. “I was a volunteer there and I saw a lot of animals that were sick and weren’t being treated. A lot of the animals kept disappearing. Then all the sudden, a recent ex-employee came out and had proof that they were putting puppies that were sick in the freezer instead of humanely euthanizing or treating them.”
A woman told KENS 5 she recently adopted a dog from the shelter but had to bring it back because of behavioral issues. She claims the woman in charge at the shelter told her the dog would “have to be put down” since she couldn’t care for it.
According to its website, CLASS is as a nonprofit, no-kill shelter. That means healthy or treatable pets are not put down, even when the shelter is full.
However, concerned residents believe not enough is being done to treat and prevent outbreaks.
“I think it’s neglect,” said Kaplen. “If you know that an animal is potentially going to get sick, they should be vaccinated. I really don’t think there’s an excuse for them not to be vaccinating. If you can’t handle the amount of animals coming in, you probably shouldn’t continue taking animals.”
In mid-January, CLASS closed due to a parvovirus and distemper outbreak. It re-opened a few weeks ago. However, the shelter’s Facebook page states it’s open by appointment only after several staff members left.
The shelter also reported it is out of vaccinations after “a volunteer accidentally unplugged a refrigerator.”
Among many complaints, former workers say donations are being mismanaged.
“I would like full transparency of their finances,” said Kaplen. “Last year when I volunteered, a friend donated $600 worth of blankets in the wintertime. [CLASS] had asked for blankets on social media. So, I brought all of those up here. I was up here three or four days a week doing the laundry and was in and out of the storage shed, which was where the stuff was stored. I never saw one of those [blankets] used for the animals.”
Herb Wells says his mother co-founded CLASS in 1977. Since then, there have been several changes in leadership. Currently, Darrell Mayfield is the president of the board that operates the shelter. His wife, Kelly Mayfield, is the vice-president.
“I never thought I would say this, but I am happy my mother is not here to see what is happening to CLASS right now,” Wells said.
The Comal County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) confirmed it's actively investigating reports of neglect and animal cruelty at the shelter.
KENS 5 reached out to CLASS. Despite repeated phone calls and emails last week, our questions went unanswered. CLASS did forward an email from the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (HSNBA), though, which details the issue of overcrowding and outbreaks at many Texas shelters.
Jeremy Switt, a former CLASS volunteer, says an interim board is set to replace the current one in the coming weeks. He says the new board will be fully transparent about operations.
Below is the transition plan.
