Former SPCA shelter manager, board president plead not guilty

By Maria R. Hayes

Former Wyoming County SPCA shelter manager Susan Davila and former Wyoming County SPCA board president Janet Foisset appeared in court on Thursday, May 24.
Davila was arraigned for 10 counts of animal cruelty and 10 counts of failure to provide sustenance to an impounded animal, which are both misdemeanors. Both women were arraigned for tampering with physical evidence, a felony. If convicted, they could be sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in jail.

Both Davila and Foisset have pled not guilty. A hearing has been set for July 12.

“From my perspective, these are two women who have desperately tried to prevent cats from being killed in shelters,” said Thomas Eoannou, the women’s lawyer. “Did people drop off too many cats? Yes. Was the shelter too small? Yes. Did that in anyway make the people trying to help the cats criminal? No. Not at all.”

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Wyoming County SPCA seeks new beginning among feuding boards

By Maria R. Hayes

After the Feb. 15 raid on its facilities, the Wyoming County SPCA had to pick up its own pieces.

Some of the biggest items on its to-do list came from the Wyoming County code enforcement officer. The Attica facility was in such a state of disrepair that it was posted for no occupancy and closed for business use. If the SPCA wanted to continue to operate at that location in Wyoming County, it had to repair the building.

Candee McConnell started making calls.

“When I spoke to the code enforcement officer for the first time, he told me that I was the only one that had called,” Wyoming County SPCA Public Representative McConnell said. “Janet Foisset, the president, had never called to find out anything.”

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