FORT SMITH, Ark. — The City of Fort Smith has released its findings in an audit of the city's shelter, Animal Haven, which was originally accused in a draft audit of there being over $100,000 unaccounted for in their records.
The city is contracted with the Animal Haven which is required to follow city animal control ordinances and the city assists with costs that the shelter might take on.
In the official audit released on Friday, Animal Haven is accused of overcharging and incorrectly charging the city, going against proper euthanasia procedures, and even allowing a heartworm-positive animal to be in the shelter for eight months before receiving treatment.
In May 2023, a city meeting was tense after it was discovered the audit by the city was being done without contacting the shelter. “I have never had a phone call, an email, or a visit from one of the board of directors regarding this,” said Animal Haven veterinarian Chris Ashworth during the meeting in May.
Fort Smith auditor Tracey Shockley said she was planning to meet with the shelter, but the draft was leaked to the public on Facebook beforehand.
In the official audit, a total amount of misappropriated funds wasn't given, but several findings were related to either Animal Haven overcharging the city or inappropriate charges to the city for animals that didn't exist according to the available records.
The audit also says the shelter euthanized animals "outside of required Arkansas laws/protocols."
In one instance, an animal owner was arrested and when they returned to the shelter, the animal was allegedly heartworm positive but didn't receive treatment for eight months.
The shelter "took the initiative to identify what changes were needed to strengthen the process," the city said. In response, management at the shelter said "The discrepancies and recommendations discovered during the audit were discussed with the intent of providing improved documentation and a more efficient documentation process."
A clerk at the shelter will now review transactions and submit them to the Fort Smith Police Department for five months, who will make sure the numbers match up. "Once FSPD command is satisfied with the financial reporting, the clerk will switch to a sample of 20% to review for accuracy."
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.