Peninsula Humane Society board outsiders will be on ballot

"I'm satisfied with the outcome of the agreement, although I still maintain that this was unnecessary. The time we spent in court was time we could have spent on the animals instead," said DeCelles.

"I'm very happy that there's going to be a free and fair election for the Humane Society and now nothing is going to prevent us from seeking the votes of the members. And nothing is going to prevent the members from speaking out," said Geraldine O'Connor.

PHS's attorney Nicholas Jellins would not comment on the settlement, and Board President Carmen Jordan-Cox's only message to the organization was that "the issue was taken off the calendar."

The legal dispute between DeCelles and O'Connor with PHS's board began in July this year, after they gathered the necessary membership signatures to be placed as candidates for the board.

A day later, the board finalized a membership vote that changed the organization's bylaws requiring new board candidates to first serve six months on the organization's Resource Council, a training program for the board.

DeCelles and O'Connor argued that the new bylaw could not be applied retroactively, and the board maintained that members began voting for the bylaw change prior to DeCelles and O'Connor's candidacy petitions coming in - the board said that the final count was a formality.

Both sides touted that PHS's members were on their sides.

Current board sympathizers supported DeCelles and O'Connor throughout the legal fray because they saw the two women as qualified candidates. If DeCelles and O'Connor are elected, they could tip the board majority in a different direction.

O'Connor is adamant that the first thing she would do if elected would be to get rid of Executive Director Pete LaVault. LaVault has been charged with gender discrimination by a former PHS employee.

"I think the unfortunate situation of the Humane Society is all to well known to the community and to the members of the Society - I'm going to reform that. There will be no abuse of any living being at the Humane Society - no abuse of any human or animal," O'Connor said. "I'm calling for the immediate removal of the Executive Director."

She also said that reforming the spay and neuter program would be a top priority. The organization used to have a veterinarian on site who would spay and neuter animals, now they give out coupons with adoption for animals to be spayed and neutered at private clinics.

O'Connor and Linda DeCelles both have long histories in animal rights. DeCelles said that she wants to bring about many changes in the organization if elected.

"We have to look at things like building a new shelter, instituting new programs, pet overpopulation, backyard breeders... These things have been ignored by PHS in the last few years."

DeCelles said she would also like to having board meetings every month, instead of the current policy of every other month, and make the meetings more open and accessible to the membership.

And her top priority too is to address the EEOC suits.

"I think we need to look at the charges that were brought by the complainants from the beginning. We need to look at them seriously and come up with a solution to the problems filed by the complainants. I don't think the board has been responsive enough to the EEOC charges... We need to take some kind of action soon," DeCelles said.

There are eleven board candidates vying for seven spots this year, including six board members seeking re-election. The board has also nominated three new candidates,