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Sunday, March 16, 2014

New Director For Worcester Humane Society

WEST OCEAN CITY — Ending months of uncertainty and speculation, the Worcester County Humane Society this week announced it has named a new director.

Worcester County Humane Society members have tapped Linda Lugo to fill the post left vacant by the departure of longtime director Kenille Davies late last year. Lugo brings a wide range of animal shelter experience to the position. She started her career in 1994 as a kennel attendant for the Wicomico Animal Shelter before ascending to the position of director, which she held for the last 10 years. Lugo said this week she is excited about her new position with the Worcester County Humane Society.

“I am over-the-top-of-moon, child at Christmas excited,” she said. “There are a lot of amazing WCHS staff and volunteers. I can’t wait to work with them and plan on hitting the ground running.”

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Linda!

Anonymous said...

SERIOUSLY!

Anonymous said...

It is impossible for Worcester County to have completed a interview process because this woman is bad news and anyone that has worked with her can testify to that. I worked with her in Wicomico County and she is as far from animal friendly and caring as they come. Such a shame.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with that choice!!!

Anonymous said...

are they going to remain a no kill shelter?

JoeAlbero said...

I'm going to chime in on this article.

Do you have ANY idea what it's like to be a Police Officer or Firefighter? Many of you look at them as people who ride around in vehicles giving out tickets or sitting at a grocery store buying food and so forth.

Well, there's another side most people conveniently forget. When you think of the most horrific accidents you've ever known, these are the people who have to face the horrific scenes.

Now, I say that because I want you to THINK about how difficult a LIFE CHANGING such environment truly are.

Now let's talk about the Director of a Humane Society. If you think for a second it is easy to put down ANY animal, you are flat out NUTS! The decisions, (especially based around stupid finances) to be forced to put an animal down is something you have to live with the rest of your life. If YOU can put your head down at night after putting down one of your own animals and fall right to sleep, well, you've probably got some mental issues.

This is an extremely stressful position. I have known Linda for MANY years. While Linda and I do not see eye to eye on MANY matters, we agree to disagree and we move on. Don't you ever think I do not have an incredible respect for this woman, because I do. I could NOT do her job and I want you to THINK for just a moment what it's actually like for Linda to actually and finally be in a position where she does NOT have to put down any more animals.

I personally wish Worcester County and Linda Lugo the very best partnership and future.

Don't come back here with Firefighter comments. Just understand and respect the fact that no matter our differences, I respect ALL of the people mentioned for what they do. Linda and I just know how to agree to disagree and the same cannot be said for the Fire Department Leadership.

Anonymous said...

Good for Linda...she was treated badly by the wicomico humane society and ousted so a society relative could take her job! I'm happy for her!

Anonymous said...

To the new JoeAlbero of March 14, 2014 at 10:06 AM

I am so glad you decided to chime into Contributor's article on Linda Luna.

In no way did I realize you felt this way about our Police Officers or Firefighters or Linda, In no way did I guess there could be another side to a story.

All the years of reading this blog with all its vile comments from you and and your viewers, this is certainly not the image I gleamed. So glad you now have changed your ways.. What light bulb went off that caused you to wake up to these facts?

Anonymous said...

9:41 Ignorant comment.

Anonymous said...

Linda was very professional and organized, the same can not be said for David. I feel like I am working with Jim Ireton at times when having to deal with David's ADHD.

I hope the best for Linda and I know she will have a good future at Worcester county.

Anonymous said...

As much as my life revolves around my pets as well others I can't imagine working in such a stressful envoirment. I respect both Linda and Kenille even though they may not see eye to eye. They truly have a passion for the animals. Linda we all wish you the best! Congratulations!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm happy that Linda has a job that she can go home at night and know she did the best job she could do. I'd rather euthanize myself than a family pet, I just couldn't do it. Best wishes Linda!

Anonymous said...

I'm not such an optimist when it comes to this shelter. I'm speaking from experience. This shelter will ultimately run the same course as Safe Haven that was in Georgetown DE and failed. You can not take a small community shelter and attempt to turn it into one that is run like a national organization. It will not work. This shelter due to the fact that Worcester county has it's own animal control so this shelter hasn't any contracts to rely on already has a major strike against it's finances. I have nothing against this lady and actually am rooting for her, because to me anyone who loves animals is a terrific person but looking at this from the outside in as a successful business person there are just too many red flags.
The Wor shelter is nothing like the Wic shelter which had the county and Salisbury contracts. The Wor shelter relies entirely and totally on goodwill towards the public for its finances.

Anonymous said...

The main difficulty that the WCHS is going to have currently is major financial difficulty. They have burned too many bridges with the public (which they will find is going to be their ONE AND ONLY source of income) due to their misdirected forced resignation of the founder and former director, Ms Kenille Davies. The public doesn't have the same warm and fuzzy feeling they had toward the WCHS as they did before.
It appears they hired some fly by night lawyer who came in like a hell fire instead of one who was experienced at mediation, public relations and handling situations in a civil manner so as to have the public eating out of their hand and throwing money at them. If this had been handled properly the endowment problem would be nothing more now than a bad dream as the public has always rallied behind the WCHS in controversial times and when financial problems have arisen.

Unfortunately due to what can only be describes as utter and gross stupidity, I don't see the WCHS surviving either.

Anonymous said...

Ms. Lugo may be wonderful at administering a animal shelter with paperwork, efficiency and all those paperwork responsibilities.

My experience with her in Wicomico County was the attitude she fostered in the employees and volunteers.

Good luck Worcester. I hope she does well by you

Anonymous said...

Comparing Worcester county shelter to Wicomico is like comparing apples to onions. Wicomico has contracts, and no Worcester doesn't. Worcester does rely solely on the community for it's funding. While I'm sure Linda Lugo's heart is in the right place, they should have taken a more doyenne/patron type of approach when hiring a director. Kenille filled that role as well as being a wonderful caretaker to the animals. She was and still is extremely well respected in the community. I personally have heard of 3 wills/trusts that were changed when she was ousted. The shelter would have within the next 10 years have seen a windfall of just about $1,000,000 as well as some property quit fit for a shelter setting, not in endowment form but free and clear.
These people weren't particularly any great animal lovers, but they believed in and trusted Kenille.

Anonymous said...

I agree 9:59, very poor lawyering. Reminds me of the NJ case with the young girl who was suing parents to pay for her college education. That was something that should never have ended up in a courtroom and should have been ironed out by lawyers behind closed doors.