CT Humane Society Hires New Executive Director

The Connecticut Humane Society welcomed a new executive director this month. As WNPR's Patrick Skahill reports, Gordon Willard says he's ready to reform one of one of the state's most troubled non-profits.

Speaking on WNPR's the Colin McEnroe Show, Willard says he'll work to streamline the Connecticut Humane Society's management and put a larger chunk of the non-profit's $46 million endowment into programs directly helping troubled animals.

"We want to move as many animals into the system and out of the system as quickly as possible, which means if they're homeless, we want to get our hands on them and hopefully not do a lot of work on them because that's stressful for the animals and its costly for any organization. We want to get them into any home very quickly."

Animal welfare advocacy groups like Coalition for Change have been calling for changes at the Humane Society for months, including reducing the number of animals put down because of behavior issues. Earlier this year, its efforts led to an investigation by the office of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and also to the resignation of former President, CEO and Board Chairman Richard Johnston.

Cathy DeMarco is the coalition's president.

"With that kind of endowment, the Connecticut Humane Society should be a leader not just for the state of Connecticut but for the nation. They should be a leader in every aspect. What they're doing with animals, how they are relating to other rescue groups in the state and in the nation. How they're treating their employees, quite frankly, because that's part of the mission statement. It doesn't just talk about animals."

Executive Director Willard says the Humane Society wants to increase adoptions and lower behavioral euthanasia rates. He also says they will work will work with shelters and animal advocacy groups around the country.

For WNPR I'm Patrick Skahill.