Paulette Dean has run Danville's municipal animal shelter for years while also serving as the city's court-appointed humane investigator, the role responsible for looking into animal cruelty and neglect. On August 28, 2026, Dean pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of fraudulently altering public records after admitting she turned in 22 pages of fake reports to the Danville Police Department, each one claiming zero animal seizures across a five-year span. Police Chief Chris Wiles said the pages were "identical, like even down to copy marks," according to Cardinal News.

Five years of silence means nobody outside the shelter was checking whether cruelty and neglect cases were being handled at all. The stakes go beyond paperwork: the shelter has faced ongoing criticism over its euthanasia rate, and in June 2026 the Virginia Board of Pharmacy fined it $500 for failing to properly document euthanasia drugs, track controlled substances for over two years, and certify the staff performing euthanasia.

Even after pleading guilty, Dean kept her job as shelter director, and City Manager Ken Larking says the shelter's contract with the city "remains in good standing." City officials have floated a broader look at local animal services, but a one-time review isn't enough given what just came to light.

Danville City Council and City Manager Ken Larking can make independent, ongoing oversight of the shelter's records and euthanasia practices a binding part of its contract, not just a promise. The animals this system is supposed to protect, and the residents who trusted its reports, deserve more than a deferred sentence. Sign the petition to demand real oversight of the Danville Animal Shelter now, before more records go unchecked and more animals are failed.