New Animal Services director shares ideas at council meeting

Ric Torgerson, the new executive director of Joint Animal Services, offered some new ideas for the animal shelter when he met with the Lacey City Council on Thursday night.

Torgerson said the Olympia-based shelter could open a training center that would prepare animals for adoption and provide a place where people could train their own animals to behave and be obedient, he said.

Joint Animal Services is an intergovernmental agency that receives money from Thurston County, and Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. But Lacey is the administrative lead for the agency, said Liz Gotelli, director of public affairs and human resources for the city.

That means Lacey is in charge of hiring for Animal Services, handling payroll and putting together its budget. It also makes Torgerson a Lacey city employee, she said.

Torgerson was hired in August to replace Susanne Beauregard, who retired.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 9:48 PM with the headline "New Animal Services director shares ideas at council meeting."