New York Daily News - Monday, November 25th, 2002
Furor over rabies mixup
By LISA L. COLANGELO
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU
A dog being monitored for rabies was lost at a city animal shelter, and a worker at the agency says she was told to lie about it, the Daily News has learned.
Lisa Brockington, an assistant manager at the Center for Animal Care and Control's Brooklyn shelter, said a 60-pound pit bull-mix brought in Nov. 9 after it bit an agency worker was probably destroyed.
According to Health Department regulations, the dog should have been held for 10 days to see whether it showed signs of rabies.
But shelter workers were unable to locate the dog last week.
Though rabies has been found in raccoons and possums and most recently a kitten from the Bronx, it has not been detected in any dogs.
"Rabies is a life-and-death matter," Brockington said. "I had an obligation to come forward with this."
Brockington, who has worked for Animal Care since July 2001, claims she was told not to tell the Health Department or the employee who had been bitten.
Retracing steps
Julian Prager, the agency's acting executive director, said the matter is being investigated but denied Brockington was ever told to lie about the mixup.
"Some records were changed," he said. "We're trying to figure out what happened."
Prager said the employee who was bitten is not in any danger because she had been vaccinated for rabies.
But Brockington said the employee should have been told right away so she could receive post-exposure vaccinations.
The problem-plagued agency, which handles animal control for the city, is undergoing an administrative overhaul and is searching for a new executive director.
"To me, it's a huge matter of public health," said Brockington, who believes she will be fired when the center releases its budget and staff cuts this week.
Brockington said the dog probably was euthanized in a paperwork snafu. But since its body was not recovered, it could not be tested for rabies.
Brockington's lawyer, Jack Bryant Tucker, said her complaints about animal care and sexual bias have made her a target. He has filed several complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of women who work there.
Prager said Brockington's complaints of discrimination and retaliation were unfounded.
Prager said the people involved in the goof will not be disciplined, but he admitted some of those involved in the incident may be facing layoffs due to budget cuts.
"Some positions were eliminated," he said, "but those decisions were made previously for business reasons."
SRAC Note: Lisa Brockington was laid off the following week.
Furor over rabies mixup
By LISA L. COLANGELO
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU
A dog being monitored for rabies was lost at a city animal shelter, and a worker at the agency says she was told to lie about it, the Daily News has learned.
Lisa Brockington, an assistant manager at the Center for Animal Care and Control's Brooklyn shelter, said a 60-pound pit bull-mix brought in Nov. 9 after it bit an agency worker was probably destroyed.
According to Health Department regulations, the dog should have been held for 10 days to see whether it showed signs of rabies.
But shelter workers were unable to locate the dog last week.
Though rabies has been found in raccoons and possums and most recently a kitten from the Bronx, it has not been detected in any dogs.
"Rabies is a life-and-death matter," Brockington said. "I had an obligation to come forward with this."
Brockington, who has worked for Animal Care since July 2001, claims she was told not to tell the Health Department or the employee who had been bitten.
Retracing steps
Julian Prager, the agency's acting executive director, said the matter is being investigated but denied Brockington was ever told to lie about the mixup.
"Some records were changed," he said. "We're trying to figure out what happened."
Prager said the employee who was bitten is not in any danger because she had been vaccinated for rabies.
But Brockington said the employee should have been told right away so she could receive post-exposure vaccinations.
The problem-plagued agency, which handles animal control for the city, is undergoing an administrative overhaul and is searching for a new executive director.
"To me, it's a huge matter of public health," said Brockington, who believes she will be fired when the center releases its budget and staff cuts this week.
Brockington said the dog probably was euthanized in a paperwork snafu. But since its body was not recovered, it could not be tested for rabies.
Brockington's lawyer, Jack Bryant Tucker, said her complaints about animal care and sexual bias have made her a target. He has filed several complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of women who work there.
Prager said Brockington's complaints of discrimination and retaliation were unfounded.
Prager said the people involved in the goof will not be disciplined, but he admitted some of those involved in the incident may be facing layoffs due to budget cuts.
"Some positions were eliminated," he said, "but those decisions were made previously for business reasons."
SRAC Note: Lisa Brockington was laid off the following week.
