OLIVETTE, Mo. – St. Louis County officials said they are not planning—and never have planned—to mass euthanize animals in the county’s shelter.
This announcement comes amid a leaked proposal, a lawsuit, with numerous questions raised by volunteers and animal advocates.
“The document that is circulating was never a part of a plan,” said Dr. Kanika Cunningham, the director of the St. Louis County Public Health Department.
The APA took over operations of the shelter in 2022, following years of issues.
APA’s President & CEO Sarah Javier shared a statement, feeling dismayed over the rumors surrounding mass euthanasia taking place at the shelter.
“The APA does not support mass euthanasia for purposes of population control,” Javier said. “This week, county officials assured us that there will be no mass euthanasia, and the DPH spokesperson said in the article this week that such tactics will not be used.”
Javier shared gratitude that DPH plans to follow APA’s operations manual, which includes policies, detailed procedures and critical program information.
Cunningham, who was appointed in 2023, said she immediately rejected the internal proposal when it came to her desk months ago.
She said the county has spent time coming up with a humane plan for when they retake control of the shelter.
“It’s something we all have been preparing for; we’re excited,” Cunningham said.
Although the denial of mass euthanization was confirmed by DPH, long-time animal shelter volunteers like Laura Kaplan expressed relief but also concern about the lack of transparency from the county.
“While the volunteers understand that there is no current plan for mass euthanasia, the idea for such was included in an initial shelter management proposal,” Kaplan said. “Up until last week, the Health Department denied that this plan ever existed; only media exposure and legal action brought the truth to light. This incident has undermined volunteer trust in shelter management in an environment where very little trust previously existed.”