Safe Harbor president charged with two counts of animal abuse

The president of a local no-kill animal shelter will go before a judge next month.

Alice Wybert of Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary is scheduled to be arraigned April 20 on two counts of animal abuse.

No lawyer is listed for Wybert in court documents, and no one answered the phone Thursday evening at Safe Harbor.

Court records show Wybert is accused of knowingly failing to provide adequate care for two cats at the facility, which in the past has housed hundreds of animals at a time.

During a May 15 inspection of the shelter, John Otis, a black cat, was noted to be thin and passed "thin liquid stool" in the middle of the room, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed in the case. Wybert showed documentation the cat was seen by a veterinarian Jan. 29, 2013, but couldn't verify any treatments or consultations since that date.

At the next inspection, on Aug. 7, Wybert told Dr. Rachel Cook of the Missouri Department of Agriculture the cat had died. Wybert said another vet had visited the site and looked at several cats, but she didn't have documentation of that visit, the affidavit stated.

A patient chart from Heartland Veterinary Care indicated the cat last was seen Feb. 25, 2013, and had not received any treatment since then.

During an inspection Sept. 24, another cat, Midnight, was noted to have "multifocal skin lesions" and nasal discharge, the affidavit stated.

Wybert told inspectors the cat was not receiving treatment.

Cook said Wybert told her at the next inspection Oct. 31 that Midnight had died Sept. 25, before being examined by a vet, the affidavit stated.

Cook recalled speaking with Wybert the afternoon of Sept. 25 regarding the veterinary care violation on Midnight and requested Wybert fax the veterinary medical records on the cat.

Wybert then told Cook she still was trying to get an appointment because her vet's office, Heartland Veterinary Clinic, had burned down, but said nothing about the cat dying that day.

At one point, according to the affidavit, a Safe Harbor employee had recorded some video in which the cat "appeared to be in respiratory distress."

Dr. Cook said it was her professional opinion John Otis and Midnight died as a result of Wybert failing to provide adequate veterinary care, the affidavit stated.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster in October filed suit against Wybert and Safe Harbor after complaints by members of the shelter's board of directors.

The lawsuit alleges the shelter was in violation of the state's Animal Care Facilities Act because it failed to take sick animals to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment; maintain health records for the animals; follow cat housing requirements, which limit the number of cats that can be housed in the same room; maintain clean housing facilities; and properly identify the animals.

The trial in that case is set to begin April 9 in Jackson.

In the meantime, the shelter has stopped taking in or adopting out animals except dogs in the Puppies for Parole program.

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

359 Cree Ln, Jackson, MO 63755