Maricopa County places animal shelters director on administrative leave
Officials confirmed Monday that Michael Mendel, director of Maricopa County's animal shelters, has been placed on administrative leave.
They declined to share any further details — including why.
"He is out of the office," said Animal Care and Control spokesperson Kim Powell, adding she isn't authorized to comment on personnel issues.
The leave comes as Mendel faces criticism from former staff members and shelter volunteers of incompetent management and bullying behavior.
"He has mocked individuals for typos in their emails, has accused both staff and volunteers of working against him, has reprimanded individuals who have requested public records, and even went so far as attempting to get a former employee fired from her new position because she spoke up about her experiences at the shelter," wrote Lorena Bader, an animal advocate and former shelter volunteer, in a statement to which she said other past employees and volunteers had contributed.
Weeks ago, Animal Care and Control's East Shelter, located in Mesa, shut down from an outbreak of distemper, a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs. It can cause coughing, decreased appetite and vomiting in canines and can be fatal.
Officials said they would close the shelter and test every dog in it — about 300 animals — for the illness.
A history of turnover at the shelters
Mendel has headed the county's Animal Care and Control department for less than a year. He was a longtime volunteer with the county's animal shelters, and when he started in March 2022, he said he would implement "a data-driven, evidence-based vision" for the operation.
“I cherish the opportunity to continue my passion serving the animals in MCACC’s care," he said in a statement on his hiring.
He was entering a county shelter system long plagued by turnover and scandals. Mendel was the office's third director in three years, not counting Assistant County Manager Valerie Beckett, who briefly served as an interim director in 2020.
The county operates two shelters, one in Phoenix and one in Mesa.
A 2019 investigation from The Republic detailed concerns about a toxic workplace within the department and bad conditions within the shelters. A 2015 investigation found that veterinarians were botching surgeries on some shelter animals, leading to a years-long string of injuries and deaths.
In the meantime, the shelter system has been asked to deal with increasing numbers of animals as the Phoenix area sees rapid growth and Maricopa County residents experience post-pandemic financial hardships.
Sasha Hupka covers Maricopa County, Pinal County and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip about county government or county services? Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County puts Michael Mendel, animal shelters director, on leave