WILLIAMSTOWN, Vt. (WCAX) – Despite long-running allegations of animal cruelty at an Orange County animal rescue, Vermont wildlife officials say the Williamstown shelter is currently in compliance with state laws.
Animal advocate and dog behavior consultant Laurie Lawless says she has concerns about the animals at Hedi’s Haven rescue in Williamstown. “Desperate need of medical care for the animals there,” she said.
Photos sent to WCAX from inside the rescue shine a light on concerns that Lawless and others have been raising about the condition of the animals and the quality of life inside the facility. “The grime, the dirt, the cobwebs — all those things I saw in those pictures got my attention,” Lawless said.
The shelter run by Sheila McGregor has been in the news frequently over the years, from when it was shut down in Ferrisburgh in 2018, to as recently as this summer at its current location. In September, McGregor rejected allegations of poor care and told us she takes care of the animals. “It’s just gossip. I mean, you are in the media, you seriously don’t know people just lie, I mean they just lie,” she said, while rejecting a reporter’s request to visit.
Complaints have been lodged with the town and state authorities about the conditions and treatment of the animals and now Lawless is organizing a protest due to what she calls a lack of response from authorities. “We want the officials who are supposed to be stepping in to help these animals, to help these animals. There are animals that are suffering on that property,” she said.
But we learned that state authorities did investigate the complaints against Heidi’s Haven. A Fish and Wildlife game warden stopped by in October for a compliance check along with a veterinarian and two vet techs.
“With consent of the owner, they did a visual inspection of all the animals that were on the site. And the vet determined there was no reason or exigency to seize or remove any of the animals,” said Vermont Game Warden Lt. Robert Currier. He says 72 animals were inspected. The vet went into one of the enclosures and they inspected another enclosure in September. It’s unclear if McGregor was notified ahead of time. “Right now, the veterinarian, the game wardens, the state’s attorney, and Ms. McGregor are working on a compliance plan moving forward which will allow the vet to do site visits and also suggest any changes that need to occur on the property.”
Lawless says she doubts the state’s findings in the Heidi’s Haven case but will now turn her focus to pushing for a new state law to regulate animal shelters. “It’s definitely a Montpelier issue 100%,” she said. “There is no centralized oversight, that is the problem.”
Legislation is in the works that addresses animal cruelty investigations, regulations and licensing for rescues and shelters, and regulations for transporting animals into the state.
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