While Warren waits for the fate of its former animal control officer to be decided, that of the Warren Animal Shelter hangs in the balance.

Though Warren Police Department dispatcher Laura O’Donnell is serving as interim animal control officer and has been since the beginning of the year, town officials’ plan is to hire a permanent replacement. However, Deputy Warren Police Chief Joseph Loiselle said that won’t happen until after the criminal case against former ACO Heidi Garrity is resolved. Ms. Garrity was suspended without pay  last June after being charged with embezzling donated animal shelter funds. Her case is currently working its way through Rhode Island Superior Court.

“We’ve got to wait until that situation is resolved” before looking for a permanent ACO, Deputy Chief Loiselle said.

When that time comes, the winning candidate will almost undoubtedly come from within. Union rules dictate that the position be offered to a member of the town’s United Steelworkers union, which represents all town employees except police officers. Under union rules, the successful candidate need only have seniority, as Mr. Violett did when he took the job on an interim basis from former interim ACO Mike Briggs, a Department of Public Works employee with less seniority than him.

Deputy Chief Loiselle said the job could theoretically be offered to the general public, but that’s not likely:

“It’s a union posting,” he said. “Theoretically, if no one wanted the position” the town would expand its search to the public.

“But that doesn’t usually happen.”