Dispute between SPCA, Humane Society of New Orleans heads to court

By Ben Myers, Staff Writer Dolan Media Newswires NEW ORLEANS, LA--A battle between nonprofits that provide animal control services is moving to court, with accusations flying between the two sides. The Humane Society of New Orleans accuses the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of engaging in unfair trade practices that it says resulted in the loss of its city contract. The complaint, filed Dec. 22 in Orleans Civil District Court, centers on allegedly defamatory emails sent in December 2010 from SPCA chief executive Ana Zorrilla to District A City Councilwoman Susan Guidry. The emails, as quoted in the complaint, say Humane Society veterinarian Dr. Antoine Saacks III and his father "have been accused of illegal activities." Zorrilla also wrote that she was "dumbfounded" that Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration was "not vetting or doing any kind of checking into backgrounds of the individuals or groups being contracted for animal care services." Antoine Saacks II, the veterinarian's father and a former deputy chief with the New Orleans Police Department, was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in the 1990s. A person posting on the online forum www.petlovers. com accused Saacks of holding her dog hostage immediately after Hurricane Katrina, which Zorrilla references in her emails to Guidry. "How will the public respond about a veterinarian who holds animals hostage?" Zorrilla wrote. According to the Humane Society's complaint, the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine found no evidence that Saacks violated any laws. Zorrilla's emails followed the city's execution of a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Humane Society to conduct animal control services, according to the complaint. The complaint filed in December alleges that the $1.7 million agreement with the Humane Society was voided promptly after Zorrilla contacted Guidry. City spokesman Ryan Berni wrote in an email that "there was not a fully executed agreement," but the complaint quotes an email from Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Ann Duplessis alerting Humane Society President Beau Gast that Landrieu had signed a cooperative endeavor agreement. The Humane Society's attorney, Andrew Kramer, provided a copy of the agreement, which was signed by Landrieu and then-City Attorney Nannette Jolivette Brown and dated Dec. 22, 2010, the same day as Duplessis' email to Gast. The CEA is stamped "void." The CEA does not contain Gast's signature, but Kramer said Gast planned to sign it after the Christmas holiday. It's not clear exactly when the city voided the agreement, but it appears to have occurred within four days of Zorrilla's emails to Guidry. The city announced a $1.9 million agreement with the LSPCA on Dec. 28, 2010. "They got those emails and, bam, it was done," Kramer said. "There was no investigation, no discussion with the Humane Society or Dr. Saacks. They didn't even ask him what happened here." Kramer said it's possible the city will be added to the lawsuit as a defendant. SPCA spokeswoman Katherine LeBlanc said "the lawsuit lacks merit and we plan to defend this vigorously," but declined further comment. Guidry also declined comment. Entire contents copyrighted © 2012 by The Dolan Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is expressly forbidden. Published: Thu, Jan 19, 2012