Furor Over Rabies Mixup; Aide: City Shelter Lost Monitored Dog
November 25, 2002
Lisa L. Colangelo
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.
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.”
