Shelter backer faults board

Shelter backer faults board

Phil Genovar talking about taking his property back from Humane Society

By KATI BEXLEY
kati.bexley@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 11/02/08


St. Augustine's Humane Society closed Friday because its funds were so depleted, but a man whose family started the shelter in 1946 and donated the property for it says its board of directors and the management are to blame.

Phil Genovar said if the shelter does not reopen in two to four months he will start "seriously talking to my lawyers" about taking back the property.

"I am totally disgusted with the way (the shelter has) been handled," Genovar said. "St. Augustine needs a Humane Society, but this is ridiculous."

Board of Director Chairman Rusty Hall said that's not true.

He said he and another board member have met separately with Genovar in the last month. And he's not aware of any financial donations turned away.

"I would certainly never turn away money," Hall said. "I mean, that's just crazy. We would never do that."

Genovar's mother began the Humane Society in 1946 and gave roughly two acres for the shelter's construction. Genovar, who owns a business down the street from the shelter, gave the board another half acre two years ago.

The Humane Society is governed by a board of directors headed by Hall.

Genovar said he has tried many times to reach out to board members, and several people have offered him large financial contributions for the Humane Society. But, he said, it all "falls on deaf ears."

"People call me about (donations) and I tell them to call the (Humane Society), and (the shelter) never follows up with them," he said. "I have offered many times to work with the board, my daughter offered to be a board member, but for some reason they won't do anything with us."

Hall said many members of the community have reached out to the board and he plans to meet with them in the next month. He would like to hold roundtable meetings and find ways to make the Humane Society better and eventually reopen it.

Genovar also said he heard from Putnam, Flagler and Jacksonville humane societies all of which offered to help St. Augustine without cost when the board announced a month ago that it was closing. St. Augustine's shelter never accepted their help, Genovar said.

Hall said they did. The Jacksonville Humane Society took more than 10 cats and were willing to take any other animals that weren't adopted out when the shelter closed, Hall said.

"To say that we're refusing help, that's not true at all," he said. "As a matter of fact, we're really pleased with the people who have stepped up to help us."

Genovar believes the shelter should have never closed and doubts it will ever reopen.

Hall said the board is "feverishly" working to start renovating the shelter and make it better than ever. The board wants to work with the community, he said.

"We're not trying to make it difficult for people," he said. "We're going to come back. We will open again."


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