MediaUpdate

​Alachua County hired outside law firm Marks Gray to track the bankruptcy because the case was “far from routine,” and the firm remains under contract with the county more than two years later. The three Celebration Pointe entities that filed for bankruptcy owed approximately $780,000 in taxes.  

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​​ In two special meetings on July 7, the Alachua County Commission expanded uses for the Tree Mitigation Fund, approved a new Chief of Staff position and a reorganization of Assistant County Manager positions, and voted to expand the Commission’s support staff by an additional Executive Staff Assistant and two aides to be shared by Commissioners.

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​More than 1,000 children in Alachua County are getting the chance to experience summer camps this year thanks to the support of the Children’s Trust of Alachua County (CTAC), which has awarded over $2 million in camp scholarships to local families.  

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​$11 million in federal money could be lost if Alachua County and City of Gainesville leaders pursue an immigration resolution, according to leaders with the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness.

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​Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue both responded to a fire in a Gainesville home on Wednesday.

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​Health officials are confirming two cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that spreads through contaminated food and water.

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​ Jacob Torner, Vice President for Programs at the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness, has sent versions of the following letter to the City of Gainesville and Alachua County:

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​The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted to boost support staff with the addition of two commissioner aides and also backed County Manager Michele Lieberman’s proposed reorganization of departments. 

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​A new investigative report finds that practices at Alachua County Animal Services do not require the Board of County Commissioners to intervene.

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​More than four months after Alachua County hired an outside law firm to investigate allegations of animal neglect and mismanagement at Alachua County Animal Resources, an independent investigation found no evidence that current shelter leadership violated laws or engaged in gross mismanagement.

In a 31-page report dated July 1, attorney Stephanie Marchman of GrayRobinson concluded that while some concerns raised in a whistleblower complaint had a factual basis, investigators found no evidence that current county employees committed violations that endangered public welfare or amounted to gross neglect.

Questions raised about complaint's authorship

The investigation also raised questions about who authored the 15-page whistleblower complaint emailed to Alachua County commissioners and local media outlets, including The Sun, on March 2.​

​Although the complaint identified former Outreach Coordinator Anthony Friedell as its author, Marchman concluded it appeared to have been written by former Outreach Program Supervisor Sarah Gilley.

"Numerous witnesses interviewed during this investigation stated that they believed Sarah Gilley, a former Outreach Program Supervisor with Alachua County Animal Resources who worked closely with Mr. Friedell and resigned the same day as Mr. Friedell, actually authored the Complaint," Marchman wrote. "This is because Ms. Gilley was a creative writer and outspoken, whereas Mr. Friedell was quiet."

​Although the complaint identified former Outreach Coordinator Anthony Friedell as its author, Marchman concluded it appeared to have been written by former Outreach Program Supervisor Sarah Gilley.

"Numerous witnesses interviewed during this investigation stated that they believed Sarah Gilley, a former Outreach Program Supervisor with Alachua County Animal Resources who worked closely with Mr. Friedell and resigned the same day as Mr. Friedell, actually authored the Complaint," Marchman wrote. "This is because Ms. Gilley was a creative writer and outspoken, whereas Mr. Friedell was quiet."

​What investigators found

Marchman reviewed numerous records and conducted 19 interviews with employees, volunteers, residents and former staff members.

Of the 27 allegations examined, most were found to be unsubstantiated. A handful were substantiated or partially substantiated.

One substantiated allegation involved Assistant County Manager Gina Peebles referring to some shelter critics as the “lynching ladies.” Peebles acknowledged using the phrase but told investigators she intended it as a reference to being publicly attacked, not as a racial reference.

​"There was no indication that her use of this phrase had anything to do with race. Instead, Ms. Peebles provided us with a “slang or modern definition” of “lynched” to mean “to be publicly attacked, condemned, or viciously destroyed in reputation by a group without formal trial or fair hearing. It implies a, typically online, collective action intended to punish or ruin someone, acting as a modern, metaphorical form of mob justice," Marchman wrote.

The investigation also confirmed that ACAR operated without a permanent director after former Director Julie Johnson was terminated in August 2025 and without an in-house veterinarian from August 2025 through May 2026. Investigators found that relief veterinarians continued providing care during that time.

​The report additionally confirmed an ongoing rat infestation at the shelter but concluded that management implemented appropriate pest-control measures and that conditions did not fall below accepted standards of care.

Several concerns involving specific animals, including a German shepherd named Gia and kittens that died while in shelter custody, were also reviewed. In Gia’s case, investigators found care may not have been provided as quickly as ideal but concluded there was insufficient evidence of intentional neglect.

​​Current leadership praised

A central finding of the report was that many of the conditions described in the complaint predated the leadership of Peebles and Shelter Supervisor Brittany D’Azzo. Investigators concluded that shelter operations and animal care improved after both assumed leadership roles in 2025.

"While there are nuggets of truth in the Complaint, we find that many of the allegations relate to the treatment of ACAR animals and conditions of ACAR that occurred prior to Gina Peebles and Brittany D’Azzo becoming a part of ACAR’s leadership team in 2025," Marchman wrote in the report, "We know this because witness statements confirmed that many of the allegations related to conditions of ACAR occurred under prior management and that ACAR’s facilities and care of animals vastly improved under Ms. Peebles and Ms. D’Azzo’s skilled leadership."

The report ultimately stated that current ACAR employees "should be commended for their service."

​Recommendations for the county

Although the investigation cleared current leadership of major wrongdoing, Marchman made eight recommendations for county consideration.

​The recommendations included protecting employees from harassment, reevaluating the shelter’s approach to its no-kill goals, increasing staff training, improving transparency in euthanasia reporting and better communicating how rescue partners are selected.

Marchman also recommended that euthanasia cases be categorized as owner-requested only when they genuinely originate from owner requests and urged county officials to rebuild trust between shelter leadership, volunteers and the public.

​Peebles stepped down from the acting director role on April 27, 2026. After her departure, several county administrators rotated oversight of the shelter before Dianne Sauve was appointed interim director on May 16. The county has not yet permanently filled the position.

​At today’s special meeting, the Alachua County Commission viewed the 2026 Annual Report video that highlighted the many accomplishments and milestones achieved by County departments over the past year.

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​An independent investigation into whistleblower allegations against the Alachua County Animal Resources Department (ACAR) found that most of the allegations were unsubstantiated or did not occur under current management; some recommendations were made to improve operations.

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