MARLIN, Texas (KXXV — "I was not surprised but still disheartened,” said animal advocate Dorothy Sanders.
That's the way animal activists say they feel after the City of Marlin denied their open records request for the findings of an internal investigation into abuse allegations at the animal shelter.
Advocates say they weren't surprised when they received a letter from the city — the next for them will be appealing the decision to the Texas Attorney General's office.
"Your tax payers are the client so why are they not given a right to that investigative report but I was not surprised because this was just another tactic that we've seen,” Sanders said.
"The city believes the Requestors seek information protected by the attorney-client privilege and the work-product privilege and that such information is, therefore, not subject to public disclosure,” said City of Marlin City Attorney James Parker in a letter sent to animal activist.
It also references the likelihood of a lawsuit being filed in the future over the issues at the shelter, but activists say they believe this is a tactic to cover-up what they claim is a less-than-thorough investigation.
"The city investigator didn't have the animal control officers' timecards, he didn't have the dispatch logs, he didn't have fuel reimbursement for animal control," Sanders said.
" had to give all those to him and he said 'Wow, I didn't look at these before’."
According to the Texas Public Information Act, the office of the attorney general will have 45 business days to rule on the appeal to the city's decision.
Sanders says she's hopeful that the state will provide the information citizens deserve to have.
"It was the public who funded this and the public has the right to know what happened in that tax funded city animal shelter,” she said.
