Animal shelter manager steps down

Dawson resigns after five years at Liberty Humane Society

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer 04/06/2007

DAWSON STEPS DOWN – Niki Dawson (on left in photo with Liberty Animal Shelter assistant manager Aurora Piacentino) stepped from her post as the manager of the Liberty Animal Shelter in Jersey City effective last Sunday

Niki Dawson, the manager of the city's volunteer-founded Liberty Animal Shelter, stepped down from her position last Sunday.

Dawson was respected by animal lovers in Jersey City and in the state for animal welfare advocacy work over the years.

Dawson said last week that she had "mixed feelings" about the leaving the shelter after five years on the job.

"I will miss the work I did serving the inner city and working with the wonderful people," Dawson said.

The shelter is operated by the Liberty Humane Society, an organization originally created in 1998 to work with the city of Jersey City to build and manage a state-of-the-art animal shelter.

Diane Ormrod, vice-president of the Liberty Humane Society, said last week Dawson had notified the board a few days before her official resignation date. Ormrod said the board is "still in the process" of looking for a new shelter manager, but for now, Assistant Shelter Manager Aurora Piacentino will fill the role.

Problems with city's animal control officer

Dawson said her decision to leave was partially prompted by the fact that she lives in Bridgewater in Somerset County and has a young child.

But some supporters of the Liberty Humane Society believe that she left in frustration over her battles with city Animal Control Officer Joe Frank and the city's refusal to admonish him.

In February of last year, the society, Dawson asked Mayor Jerramiah Healy to remove Joseph Frank, who had been city animal control officer for 30 years, claiming that he has engaged in a pattern of harassment against the shelter and Dawson since 2002.

In October, three members of the City Council issued a report that made recommendations as to how to improve frayed relations between the shelter and the animal control officer.

A lawsuit that Dawson filed in State Superior Court against Frank is currently pending.

Future


Dawson will continue her work as president of the board of trustees for the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, a nonprofit organization formed in 1995 to "unite all New Jersey animal protection organizations [and] elevate the standard of care and level of knowledge related to animal welfare in the state of New Jersey," according to its mission statement.

In a press release issued on Monday by the Board of Directors of the Liberty Humane Society, the board tipped their hat to Dawson for her work with LHS and the shelter.

"Niki's service at LHS has transitioned Liberty Humane Society from a small startup shelter in Liberty State Park into the viable operation that it is today, consistently supporting the animals and people of Jersey City," the release said. "And for that we owe Niki an enormous thank you."

In 2005, Dawson spent time in Louisiana working with the Humane Society of the United States recovering abandoned animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I had never felt such a sense of urgency," she wrote in an article in this newspaper. "Chances were that few animals were alive at this point, unless the owners had left two weeks worth of potable food and water, and the animals were above the flood line. While I found more animals than I could count who didn't make it, there were many who did. Their faces will always be with me."

Dawson talks


Dawson said last week that it was not an easy decision.

"I thought long and hard about leaving, since the shelter was undergoing an expansion," Dawson said. "But I had so much work I was doing around the state."

Dawson said she doesn't think she'll work as an animal shelter manager in the future. But she does plan to continue working within Hudson County as an advisor on the county's disaster plan with regard to animal welfare.

Reactions - shock and surprise


Nikki Sirken, a volunteer at the Liberty Animal Shelter, was in disbelief over the news last week when told by this reporter.

"I am just floored," Sirken said. "She is just a beautiful person both on the inside and the outside, and she did an incredible job at the shelter despite all the crap she went through."

Vivian Kiggins, executive director for the Liberty Humane Society, admitted to being taken by surprise.

"It's all too soon, too soon," Kiggins said. "We were hoping she would still be here."

John Neu, longtime member of the Liberty Humane Board, called Dawson a "hard worker" and praised her service to the community.

But Ormrod said that Dawson's departure was "not a shock" and that Dawson built a "really great base" at the shelter.

"She will always be a very important part of the shelter," Ormrod said. "But it was totally her decision to leave. You could only go so long and then you will need a change."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com