The Cecil County SPCA is accused of outrageous conduct.

(Caution: This blog contains some graphic and disturbing content)

Kittens euthenized at the SPCA. (For other photos, see image page above)

Click here for additional SPCA images

     The 36th district consists of the better portion of four counties. I receive calls from constituents in Caroline, Queen Anne’s, Kent and Cecil County on matters dealing with everything imaginable. I have noticed, over the last six years, where Cecil County is vastly different in one significant respect. I don’t recall ever receiving any complaints about any SPCA associated problems from constituents in any of the other three counties I represent. Yet, I must receive one or two complaints a week regarding the Cecil County, SPCA.

     The Cecil County SPCA is primarily funded by the taxpayers of Cecil County. The Cecil County SPCA (CCSPCA) received six hundred seventy four thousand taxpayer’s dollars ($674,000) from the Cecil County Commissioners last year. The director of CCSPCA, Ms. Jeanne Deeming, receives Eighty five thousand two hundred eighty five dollars ($85,285) plus eleven thousand one hundred fifty eight dollars ($11,158) in benefits and compensation plan, for a total of ninety six thousand four hundred forty three dollars ($96,443) per year. In addition Ms. Deeming receives the use of a vehicle, paid for by Cecil County tax payers, which she is reported to use for non CCSPCA related activities. She has also received a five thousand dollar ($5,000) raise each of the last three years. I am told this makes Ms. Deeming, one of the highest paid shelter directors in the entire State of Maryland.

     One would think that with Cecil County paying such exorbitant amounts of tax dollars, we would be receiving some of the best animal control service in the State. Instead, my office is consistently being contacted with allegations of horrific treatment of animals and inappropriate behavior towards the public.

     Some of the complaints recently raised by various former employees include but are not limited to the following:
Two former employees of the CCSPCA, Mr. Carl Ewing and Ms. Erin Miller, a veterinary technician reported they have witnessed the head animal control officer, Mr. Jerry Hawkins, unnecessarily drag a dog from its kennel on a catch pole, take it behind the SPCA building and shoot it through the chest with a handgun. Ms. Miller advised that she also witnessed a second event where this occurred and that after both shootings she administered the euthanasia drugs to the dogs that were still alive.

     Ms. Miller was ordered to perform euthanasia at the SPCA even though she was not listed with the State as being authorized to be handling the drugs used to euthanize the animals nor has she had any formal training on how to administer the injections.

     Ms. Miller’s duty as a veterinary technician required her to help out the veterinarian, Dr. McDermott, when he performed surgical procedures on the animals. Ms. Miller reports that on numerous occasions Dr. McDermott would leave in the middle of an animal’s surgery, to take phone calls, leaving the animal on the table.

      Ms. Miller reports that she was instructed to tell the public that the CCSPCA was a modified kill shelter which means if the animal was aggressive or sick it would be humanely euthanized. Ms. Miller told me this was a lie, because she had to put down animals that were not sick or aggressive. She wrote in her sworn Affidavit, “I had to kill puppies and kittens that were never given a chance. I also had to kill every cat that came in the door unless it was different looking or an exotic breed that they could adopt out for a higher price.” Ms. Miller went on to explain that animals that became sick at the CCSPCA were prescribed the wrong medications or they may not be treated at all and were just euthanized. Ms. Miller also gave examples of dogs not getting medical attention soon enough, even though they were being kenneled at the SPCA. She said that she or other employees reported what they saw as sick behavior, one dog continued bleeding after an operation and another dog became sick when being left while its owner was on vacation. Both times, Dr. McDermott was reported to take too long in responding to requests to attend to the dogs and both died.  Erin Miller also related that on numerous occasions she witnessed the kennel manager, Ms. Susan Maldonado, yank dogs on slip leaches and choke dogs with slip leashes.

     When Ms. Miller was asked why she was coming forward to tell about the things she had done and seen done at the CCSPCA she quietly responded, with tears in her eyes, “It just got to be too much, we just got tired of it, somebody had to do something.”

      Another employee, Mr. Ewing, stated in his affidavit also that Ms. Maldonado, the kennel manager, punched dogs in the face, kicked them and threw dogs by their scruff and hit them. Carl said,” Susan has stated that dogs need discipline”.

     Mr. Ewing stated in his Affidavit that the animal control officer Mr. Jerry Hawkins used a whip to make a black Russian dog, “Marcus” aggressive, so the dog could be used as a guard dog at the CCSPCA. The dog eventually bit Mr. Ewing’s son, which led to the firing of Mr. Ewing and his deciding to report the inappropriate activities going on at the CCSPCA.

     Mr. Ewing confirmed what Ms. Miller had said in her affidavit about the policy of putting down animals at the CCSPCA. He wrote that he was told by Jeanne Deeming that all pit bulls, including puppies were to be put down in Cecil County. He wrote that Ms. Deeming puts down dogs that growl and all aggressive breeds are destroyed. All cats brought in a trap, any which are sickly looking or feral cats are euthanized by the end of business between 3 and 4 pm. He states the cats brought in are not given food or water once deemed to be euthanized and that people who bring animals in are asked to leave the trap carrier overnight so the animals do not have to be put in the SPCA cages (thus avoiding the need to clean them) While the stated policy is to hold the animals for 3-5 days in case there is an owner, they rarely do so. The animals are not scanned to see if they have identification chips in them. Mr. Ewing writes “Susan Maldonado and Jean Deeming told me to lie to the public if asked about destroying animals. People searching for their cats and dogs that have been put down, are to be lied to.”

      Mr. Ewing reports that any sick animal is put down and most are not treated. “The CCSPCA receives grants to treat heart-worm, but do not use the money to do so unless the dog is an English Setter, Pointer or Great Dane.” “Dr. McDermott and Susan do not check the animals daily and since the cat caretaker left, the cats do not get medicine regularly if they are sick.”

Mr. Ewing’s wife Natasha also worked at the CCSPCA and related many of the same facts as did the other employee’s who gave affidavits but in addition she provided photos (See SPCA photos) above. One additional event she related was particularly horrific and is even more so when you later find out it is corroborated by some very young volunteers. Ms. Ewing relates that a Ms. Kate used to volunteer at the CCSPCA, by all accounts she was a loving woman who gave of her time and energy to care for about 30 feral cats which lived in a barn and shed outback of the SPCA. After Ms. Kate quit, Mr. Ewing’s job was to feed and water the feral cats behind the SPCA building. A couple of weeks after he had started caring for the cats, Ms. Deeming, the Director, told Mr. Ewing to stop feeding them and providing them with water. A week later Ms. Ewing wrote “I saw Jerry Hawkins putting food out. He would stand behind the building with his 22 rifle and shoot cats when they came out.”

Bullet holes still visible in SPCA shed today.

     This story seemed too outrageous to believe until a 14 year old boy who was a volunteer along with his younger sister at the SPCA told me the story about how when they volunteered they would always go out back to see all the cats, till one day they went back there and the cats were all gone but there were bullet holes in the building and .22 caliber shell casings were on the ground. The boy then showed me the casing he had saved from a .22 round which he picked up behind the building where the cats used to be. Combine those stories with the photo above, of the bullet holes in the shed and it becomes all too horrifically real.

     The children told me about seeing people hit and kick the dogs. The little girl was upset about being yelled at after she purchased a collar for a dog that she thought looked sad which was in a cage. She was yelled at and told not to ever buy anything for the animals again. The children’s mother was in to see me about the negative experience that her children had after volunteering at the CCSPCA. In addition to cooberating the information the children shared with me, she told me of an incident where the Director of the Cecil County SPCA, Jean Deeming, told her that “the only good pit bull, is a dead pit bull.” What do you say to children who wanted to do something good to help animals and have this experience?

    The young male volunteer also told us that he saw Jean Deeming and Susan Maldonado with animals on the operating table, being operated on when the Doctor was not there.

     When I have contacted SPCA officials, Ms. Schwerzler, Pres. of the Board of Directors, or Ms. Deeming, the response has been to deny any wrong doing, ever, and then to viciously attack the motivation and character of the employee, constituent or volunteer who made the complaint.

     At some point, after hearing from numerous people, having them sign affidavits, under the penalty of perjury, that, what they are reporting is true and state they will take polygraphs, after having former employees admit to their own wrong doing and participation in activities that they could no longer live with, seeing the photos and documentation to back up their claims, it becomes a duty to act on behalf of the public. I have come to the conclusion that all the former employees, constituents and volunteers who have contacted my office can not all be making these accusations up.

That being said, should any of the employees at the CCSPCA who have been accused of the actions herein, wish to show they believe the allegations to be false, I will be glad to provide a polygraph by a retired police officer, which I will pay for, provided they pass.

     I have seen many individuals try to address these concerns and watched their character attacked. I have seen first hand the CCSPCA defensive machinery get geared up so employees and their families would write in letters attacking whoever spoke against them. That being said, I know that this post will result in a string of nonfactual personal attacks on me and my staff for having decided that these matters must be addressed. That is ok, I realize that if you take this job, you better be willing to take the heat. What I am hoping, is that eventually, when others read this column they will report their experiences and we can effectuate a change that will give the citizens of Cecil County a shelter they can be proud of.

     Let me know your thoughts, experiences and suggestions so we can fix this problem. I will be taking my information to the appropriate authorities and writing a couple of follow up articles which address many other problems that have been brought to my attention by the above individuals and others. Watch for the follow up articles in the next few days.