“Huge changes” are coming to Canyon Lake Animal Shelter Society (CLASS).
But CLASS Vice President Kelly Mayfield, accused of alleged animal cruelty and neglect by her former kennel manager and a former board member, posted on Facebook Friday that she’s “not sure it will be what the witch hunt is wanting.”
Several area realtors involved with animal rescue who agreed to speak off-the-record to MyCanyonLake.com think she’s telling the truth.
The Mayfields are planning to sell CLASS.
According to a text message shared with MyCanyonLake.com by a real estate agent, the listing agent who visited the shelter last week said it will take several months for CLASS to actually go on the market because of the remediation work needed before the property can be listed.
CLASS is valued at $581,850 by Comal County’s Central Appraisal District.
Darrell Mayfield is the “registered agent” for CLASS, according to records provided by Sam Taylor, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s office in Austin.
Angie Gilstrap, who ran CLASS from 2013-21, signed CLASS over to Mayfield on July 27, 2021.
He is a retired Houston police officer who also worked as an animal control officer for eight months with the City of Cibolo.
Kelly Mayfield appears to have blocked MyCanyonLake.com on Facebook, but according to screen grabs provided by animal advocates, she said she has five board members who could potentially “vote us out.”
According to bylaws, it appears those anonymous members also could vote to sell the facility, allowing the Mayfields to dissolve CLASS, buy another property and start another nonprofit.
The Mayfields declined to comment on future plans for CLASS and did not respond to a request for the names of the five board members mentioned on Facebook.
A former CLASS volunteer and several other local animal advocates fighting to oust the Mayfields are asking the public to show up and support them at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, Commissioners Court meeting in the historic courthouse, 100 Main Plaza, New Braunfels.
Anyone who wishes to speak for or against CLASS will be allowed three minutes during Citizens Comments. Pct. 1 County Commissioner Donna Eccleston declined to comment when asked about the situation at the shelter.
Darcy Butkus, a licensed private investigator who runs Inspector Bark Detective Agency, will feature CLASS 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, on a podcast titled “Pulling Back the Curtain on Imposters within the Animal Welfare Community.”
Anyone with thoughts, comments, or questions is invited to call in at 563-999-3599.
For more information, visit Inspector Bark’s Facebook page.
Meanwhile, it appears the Mayfields are trying to empty the shelter permanently.
On Facebook last week, the Mayfields waived adoption fees for most animals with vaccinations. When a commenter challenged the decision to give animals away at a time when CLASS is begging for donations, Kelly responded fewer animals mean fewer expenses.
Surplus funds are being used to repair animal kennels, she said.
The Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (HSNBA) has taken in 10 CLASS cats.
Canyon Lake animal rescuer Sunni Stahlbird, who routinely works with the Mayfields to place abandoned, stray or abused animals at the shelter, would only confirm she is working to “get all of the adoptable dogs adopted and or fostered.”
“I’m focused more on helping the animals that come my way privately, but at the same time, the goal is to get the dogs at the shelter adopted with a health certificate to ensure they are healthy,” she said.
Stahlbird visited CLASS to take videos of the remaining animals and posted them on the Everything Canyon Lake Texas Facebook page.
On Facebook Saturday, CLASS said its monthly low-cost vaccination clinic was canceled due to the “hateful witch trial” that is “hurting the community.”
Today, a CLASS Facebook administrator posted then removed Royd Mercer YouTube videos about dogs who don’t live up to their owners’ expectations.
Mercer is a fictional character who makes prank phone calls.
The YouTube videos are titled “Dead Dog,” “Horny Hound” and “Sissy Dog,” and include jokes about a Yorkshire Terrier who is gay and can’t be used for breeding and a dog who ate foam sealer and sealed its mouth shut.
The Mayfields followed up with a post about a five-year-old piebald ball python named Alfred – short for Alfredo noodle – who is currently “finishing a shed” and unavailable for adoption, “however he is available to come and see and learn about.”
CLASS reopens to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday. It closed on Jan. 19 to “address the distemper and parvovirus outbreak at the shelter.”
Hopefully, the public will be able to meet and greet Alfredo noodle and also learn more about the Mayfields’ real plans for the future.
I’m horrified that this is even legal. All the time and money and love Canyon Lake residents have put into this shelter, and this is the best answer the current board can come up with? How about just stepping aside to let people with more experience take over?
There are only four board members according to records online. Kelly Mayfield Christie Qualters Melissa Dobbins and Darrel Mayfield.
Michael, this is Melissa Dobbins. I’d like to correct your post with some truth-I resigned as VP 11/16/2022 with many concerns about the care of animals and the lack of management and communication at the shelter. I suggested numerous times that the shelter close for intake during the 5mos or so months I was “on the board”, and actively fostering CLASS dogs. We adopted one dog, fostered 58 dogs total, and spent a few thousand dollars of our own monies on medical care and humane euthanasia on 9 or more of the fosters we cared for. Much of this was actually addressed in a previous article published a few weeks ago on My Canyon Lake. Where does it still show I am active on the board? This needs to be corrected. Christie resigned shortly after being voted in, maybe 3-4wks I believe. I was told by the Mayfield’s it was to care for ailing parents. To clarify, I have been open and vocal about my concerns, again this was addressed in previous articles as well. Please be careful how you share information in the future, it can be harmful. To my knowledge the Mayfield’s are the only 2 board members, though it was said somewhere they have 5 now, I prefer not to believe what I read online till I research it on my own thought. When requested by reporters no names of new board members have been provided so again, this is very possibly not true. I believe board meeting should be open the the public and board members of non-profits should also be public knowledge.
I truly believe that Darryl and Kelly Mayfield have no integrity whatsoever. They have yet to publicly admit and apologize for what horrific events happened to puppies and their adopters/foster families have endured emotionally, mentally and monetarily after getting puppies from this shelter to either end up with them dying or having to be euthanized due to parvo and or distemper. They are shameless evil creatures in my opinion and I am one of those adopters who lost a precious puppy due to their negligence, recklessness and ignorance about the care and welfare of the poor animals that come into the shelter
Such a shame. Like most animal rescue groups, CLASS has had rough times while trying to save lives. But to play these ridiculous games, failing to admit to the role one has played in poor outcomes, to refuse to work with community advocates who have supported the shelter over many years is clear cut evidence of a lack of commitment to the animals and the community.
They will find that they can’t simply sell the business because any funds that would be derived would have to be assigned to a non profit in accordance with I.R.S. regulations
Do they have the authority to sell Class? What happens to the money? Who is the actual owner? Do we want Class to close or do we want someone else to take over?
How can the the shelter be sold? Do the Mayfields own it? Can a 501c3 operation be sold & where/who would receive the sales roceeds?