Charleston Co. and Charleston Animal Society respond amid contract negotiations

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County and Charleston Animal Society spoke to News 2 about where negotiations stand after the county terminated an agreement between the two in November.

The county sent Charleston Animal Society a 30-day notice of the termination before the contract was cancelled on Nov. 30.

Following this, the county drafted a new contract proposal for itself and the animal society which has caused controversy.

Charleston Animal Society posted a video to social media with serious accusations about past actions by the county. These include “payment for services, fair taxation, and euthanasia of animals.” Both sides responded to these claims.

“Secondly, but most importantly, inserting a limitation of financial responsibility for five day stray hold. Well what does that mean, what is the consequence of that,” Joe Elmore, CEO and founder of Charleston Animal Society, said. “Well, the consequence is hold them for five days and then kill them because you’re not being paid for the humane disposition if the animal is not savable. And a number of animals are not savable.”

However, county officials responded to the accusations saying they are unfounded and extreme.

“I took particular issue when he said that we mandated that they euthanized animals – that’s never been said by anybody on our staff, on our council,” Joe Boykin, councilman of Charleston County, said. “We simply said we would agree to support and fund so many days of sustenance for those animals. We never told him to do anything like that.”

Elmore said there have been issues with payments coming from the county.

“Up until July we were, and then the county stopped payments, didn’t let us know they stopped payments. They stopped payments for a couple of months, to I guess, to put pressure on us. They didn’t communicate to that to us or anything, but that was another breach of the contract, which they have several breaches of the contract.”

County officials provided documentation to News 2 of payments dating back to Dec. 2023.

Since the termination of the contract, the county has requested additional information itemizing and justifying costs from the Charleston Animal Society. With those requests going unanswered, the county temporarily delayed some payments. They had been paying monthly to the shelter and ultimately made up the costs.

“I was in the room when our administrator hand him a $600,000 dollar check for three months worth,” Boykin said. “Because again, our contract was over this past summer and there was no contract enforced. To make those kind of outrageous allegations against the county that we’re so fiscally irresponsible that we don’t pay our debts – is insulting.”

Charleston County is expected to meet with Pet Helpers, seeking a potential contract, as the organization has been partnering with them since the contract expired.

Below is a draft of the new proposal regarding scope of services that was delivered to the animal society on Nov. 26, according to Charleston County.

The county ran an audit in May which they provided a copy of. You can read the audit below.