Young-Williams: Woman in animal cruelty investigation misled staff to get more animals

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Young-Williams Animal Center officials released a statement after the Knox County Sheriff’s Office conducted an animal cruelty raid on a family, seizing more than 40 animals from the home.

In the statement, animal center representatives said the woman, Haylee Morris, misled staff by giving them multiple names and addresses, all in an attempt to get more animals.

Previous Coverage: KCSO: 4 people charged in major animal cruelty case

“This individual took advantage of our policies and misled staff by providing multiple names and addresses to attain pets, adopting pets through partner locations and other methods,” the statement said.

Morris came highly recommended to the animal center, according to its representatives, and was “well-regarded” by the community and other animal organizations. Organizations Young-Williams officials said were also misled.

“However, in this case, an individual that came highly recommended by multiple animal rescue organizations, was well-regarded by people in the community and met our requirements, purposefully misled our staff and other organizations in order to obtain an excessive number of animals,” the statement said.

KCSO conducted the raid at the Morris house earlier in March. Reports said that while their officers found many animals in neglect, including several that had died and were decomposing in the home. Many of those animals came from Young-Williams, while others were owned by clients paying Morris to pet sit.

Young-Williams’ representatives capped off the statement, which can be read in full below, by saying they were thinking of the people and animals affected by the incident.

“Our hearts go out to the people and pets touched by this tragedy. We also appreciate the adopters and fosters who give one or many of our pets better lives. Our operation and animals rely on their support,” the statement said.

As of March 16, Young-Williams Animal Center has received 42 total pets that Animal Control seized from a home on March 8 and 14.

The individual in possession of the animals had previously adopted and fostered pets from the shelter.

Young-Williams Animal Center has a vast local network of experienced fosters, adopters and families who care for multiple animals at a time successfully, especially small pets such as birds and hamsters who normally thrive in groups. However, in this case, an individual that came highly recommended by multiple animal rescue organizations, was well-regarded by people in the community and met our requirements, purposefully misled our staff and other organizations in order to obtain an excessive number of animals. We know from experience that animal hoarding cases are complicated, but unfortunately animals in these situations do not receive the appropriate level of care.

This individual took advantage of our policies and misled staff by providing multiple names and addresses to attain pets, adopting pets through partner locations and other methods. In total, the shelter had adopted 15 animals to the individual, including two dogs and one cat, in addition to smaller pets.

A community rescue contacted Young-Williams Animal Center in July 2022 with concerns about the individual. Our team took the allegations seriously and joined the rescue in asking Animal Control to investigate. These concerns led us to end the foster agreement and place an adoption and fostering ban on the person in our system.

Young-Williams Animal Center has not allowed the individual to adopt or foster animals since July 2022.

Our mission is to find A Home for Every Pet. We strive to ensure that animals are placed in safe and loving homes. Any loss of animal life is tragic, and our staff are devastated by the treatment of animals by the individual and resulting animal deaths.

We employ industry-leading best practices for the sheltering, care, fostering and adoption of pets. We strive to always improve upon our work and our training, and we will continue to work with our partner animal welfare groups including other local rescues and Animal Control to improve communication between organizations, review policies and enhance those best practices for the benefit of the animals and the communities we serve.

Our hearts go out to the people and pets touched by this tragedy. We also appreciate the adopters and fosters who give one or many of our pets better lives. Our operation and animals rely on their support.

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