Weber County Animal Services has become the subject of criticism from ex-volunteers, former employees, animal fosters, and rescue personnel who express concerns about poor treatment of shelter animals and challenges faced by staff and volunteers. Community members have also shared their worries with the Utah Investigative Journalism Project regarding issues they have observed, specifically pointing to a perceived lack of animal knowledge among shelter leadership and a lack of transparency in managing care and euthanasia decisions.

Siri Main, who has served as the shelter director since 2025, has drawn particular focus. One former kennel technician, Lisa Boggs, left the shelter after a disagreement over the care of a Great Pyrenees named Ricky. Boggs, who started as a volunteer, reported that Ricky was highly fearful upon arrival, unable to stand, and had accidents where he lay. Boggs stated in an email that her request to foster Ricky was denied by management, who instead marked the dog for euthanasia or rescue only. Ricky was ultimately rescued, but only days before his scheduled euthanasia.

“I left because I was no longer truly empowered to care for the animals,” Boggs said in an email. She added that she no longer felt she had a voice under the new director. Alan Waldron, a volunteer for the Pyrenees rescue that took Ricky, reported that shelter staff did not provide him with a muzzle he requested for safety, nor did they assist him in retrieving the dog. Waldron stated that he felt shelter staff “were more inclined to have the dog put down than to actually, you know, be kind and be sociable about things.”

When asked about Boggs’s fostering request, Main stated that individuals not qualified to foster an animal would not be allowed to do so, without further elaboration. Boggs’s own report showed she had been working with Ricky daily. Main also said she did not recall the specific timeline of Ricky’s rescue and scheduled euthanasia and indicated that staff could only watch as Waldron took the dog. While muzzles are available at the facility, Main noted it was possible a muzzle large enough for Ricky was not on hand.

Main emphasized her role in ensuring the shelter uses best practices and provides good animal care. She stated that genuine, constructive, and respectful criticism is welcome, but noted that shelter leadership might not always agree with proposed solutions.

Allison Kenney, who volunteered cleaning kennels at the shelter every Sunday for over three years, ceased her involvement. Kenney was also part of The Friends of Weber County Animal Services, a nonprofit created to ensure monetary donations directly benefited the shelter without a portion going to the sheriff’s office. According to Kenney, Main was denied a request to join the nonprofit’s board because its policy was for the board to consist solely of shelter volunteers. The nonprofit has since ended its work with the shelter, changing its name twice—first to Friends of Weber County Animals and then to Friends of Utah Paws and Tails—to avoid association with the shelter, eventually becoming a rescue itself. Kenney attributed the split to multiple reasons, including a falling out with Main, stating that Main “was just very negative and derogatory about the things we have done.” Kenney highlighted that the nonprofit had raised thousands of dollars for the shelter and helped with spaying and neutering costs. Main declined to comment on this relationship or her board inquiry.

Concerns about animal negligence led multiple volunteers, rescue personnel, and employees to contact the Weber County commissioner’s office and the shelter’s human resources department. Kenney reported that all received the same response: an email stating, “nope we have faith in the new director and the direction things are going.” Kenney expressed her belief that when many individuals from various backgrounds raise the same issues, it signals a problem.

However, not all volunteers agree with the criticisms. Jeff Walker, an eight-year volunteer at the shelter, has observed improvements since Main’s arrival, noting that the space appears cleaner and more organized, and staff morale has improved. Walker described his limited interactions with Main as respectful and diplomatic.

A common concern among former volunteers was the restriction on walking dogs that had not been cleared for adoption. Kenney cited the case of a husky named Blue, who she said was at the shelter for months before being listed for adoption. Former county commissioner Sharon Bolos, who previously oversaw the shelter, explained that Blue could not interact with the public because the dog was involved in a court case. Main stated that under previous management, animals involved in court cases were confined to their kennels, but now shelter staff walk these animals daily. She added that volunteers are permitted to walk all dogs evaluated and recommended for adoption.

Zach Ridderhoff, a former volunteer trainer who rehabilitated fearful or aggressive dogs, stopped volunteering when he was no longer permitted to work with unadoptable dogs. Main explained that for safety reasons, volunteers are not allowed in the animal holding area, where unadoptable dogs are housed. She also noted past disease outbreaks when volunteer protocols were not followed. Main said the holding room houses dogs not for public viewing, potentially due to bite risks or involvement in domestic violence cases, and that safety is taken seriously for both animals and people. She added that the shelter now utilizes a different trainer who is insured, credentialed, has over 20 years of experience, and specializes in extreme aggression and behavioral abnormalities, meeting the shelter’s standards. An anonymous former employee expressed that shelter leadership was “not really focused on creating a less stressful situation for the animals,” acknowledging the inherent stress of a shelter environment.

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