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Former employee and local rescuers report altered records, retaliation, and animal-care lapses as regulators confirm an active probe
KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Animal Services Shelter is once again under scrutiny as the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Animal Welfare Section confirms an active investigation following allegations of irregular practices involving shelter operations.
Hope Tucker, formerly a medical and intake specialist at DCAS, believes she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about animal welfare issues. County officials, however, have stated that Tucker was dismissed for using a racial slur.
On Nov. 3, four days before Tucker’s termination, Duplin Journal received a tip about potential misconduct at the shelter; the source claimed an employee had raised multiple concerns but was afraid to go on the record for fear of retaliation. On Nov. 6, Duplin Journal received a complaint sent to AWS and forwarded to multiple media outlets, pleading for the agency to investigate and interview employees privately. Tucker was fired the following day.
“I was terminated from my job without any prior notice,” she said.
Tucker has since agreed to go on the record and filed her own formal complaint with state regulators alleging altered documentation intended to hide staff errors, improper euthanasia practices and retaliatory behavior toward employees, rescues and advocates who question shelter practices. Duplin County Interim County Manager Lisa Hughes declined to comment beyond confirming that state inspectors visited the shelter on Nov. 17.
The shelter has faced similar scrutiny before. Duplin Journal investigated prior violations and interviewed other witnesses to learn more.
AWS investigated DCAS last year after a complaint alleged failures to vaccinate animals within 14 days of intake, lack of veterinary care for an injured dog and lack of required shade in outdoor areas, resulting in a $1,000 fine.
An April 1, 2024, inspection report obtained by Duplin Journal noted that the then shelter director told the state inspector that “the shade cloths were being installed later that day. As of the July 18, 2024, site visit, the shade cloths were not installed and a review of the purchase documents showed that the shade cloths were not ordered until June 18, 2024, with a delivery date expected to be 8-10 weeks from the order date.”
The same report documented that kennels housed kittens with signs of communicable disease among the general population. On a July 24 follow-up visit, inspectors found five more kittens showing symptoms and confirmed that a cat named Hamza remained unvaccinated despite direct instruction from the inspector to administer a rabies shot.
Documents shared with Duplin Journal show that Duplin County formally requested that civil penalties be rescinded, arguing that some violations occurred under mitigating circumstances. The county said kittens displaying disease had already been treated with antibiotics and showed improvement, rabies vaccination for some animals was delayed based on veterinary recommendations, and supply-chain issues delayed installation of required shade cloths.
The county highlighted several operational improvements, such as creating a new management position for Animal Services and appointing longtime shelter employee Samantha Lane as the interim director to address administrative deficiencies. As part of a proposed resolution, the county requested to accept responsibility only for the $200 penalty related to Hamza’s missed rabies vaccination. Additional documentation reveals that in November 2024, state officials agreed to reduce the shelter’s fine and placed the remaining $800 on a one-year hold. This hold is contingent upon no new violations occurring within that period, as any new violation would trigger immediate payment of the fine.
An email from a member of the Duplin County Animal Advisory Board shared with Duplin Journal shows a member recommending to ban individuals/volunteers from the new shelter before it opened, and recommended creating a list of acceptable rescue groups they “feel will be helpful” to their cause.
Geri Romain, executive director of Wagon Tails Farm, told Duplin Journal that rescues and community members who speak out are met with resistance rather than cooperation.
She described several incidents, including being denied access to a cattle dog mix named Baz, whom they were trying to place. Romain said that staff informed her that Baz was dangerous and was scheduled for euthanasia. She also noted that the next day, another rescue inquired about Baz, only to be told he was “an asshole” and wasn’t going anywhere. When she pressed further to take him in, her request was initially denied. However, after insisting on speaking to a supervisor, her request was ultimately approved.
“He’s the best behaved dog of our entire pack — it turns out, he had a crushed pelvis and was in pain while at the shelter,” she explained.
Romain also recounts rescuing two puppies who tested positive for parvo; despite notifying the shelter, DCAS allegedly took no action. “They simply said they would consult their vet.”
The shelter later euthanized a puppy with the disease and closed to the public for two weeks.
“I, personally, commented that it was a shame that they knew Parvo was in the shelter and chose to do nothing until a puppy had to be euthanized,” said Romain. “Immediately, all communication from the shelter ceased.”
Romain said her rescue was later banned from pulling animals.
“It’s a shame that the only rescue based in Duplin County is banned from helping our local county shelter,” Romain added. “Why are they so concerned with who can and can’t come in and what they might find?”
Concerns over recordkeeping and veterinary care mirror findings from a 2023 AWS investigation into the shelter’s handling of a dog named Gigi, after a complaint surfaced regarding inaccurate medical records.
Investigators found multiple inconsistencies, “including the absence of documentation for a second heartworm test that shelter staff said had returned a positive result. The only recorded heartworm test, which was conducted on July 27, 2023, showed the result to be negative for heartworms,” stated the report. Investigators also discovered that entries were added to Gigi’s medical record three days after her adoption and included an inaccurate notation stating she appeared “normal” on a date when she was no longer in the shelter’s custody.
Additional issues included gaps in medication logs, conflicting dosage instructions and failure to detect a chronic ear infection. AWS concluded that the shelter had not maintained required medical records, failed to ensure timely veterinary care and did not fully disclose the dog’s medical condition to the adopter. The shelter was fined $350.
