The Kenton County Fiscal Court voted unanimously to terminate Animal Services Director Kelly Sauer and Canine Behavior Coordinator Trevor Diaz Waggoner at Tuesday’s meeting.
Among the executive orders passed in the latter half of the meeting were three pertaining to the personnel of the Kenton County Animal Shelter.
The first order approved Sauer’s termination, followed immediately by another order approving the appointment of Whitney Quint as interim animal services director. The third order approved Waggoner’s termination.
All three motions were passed with a unanimous 3-0 vote from the county commissioners.
The fiscal court did not publicly state a reason for the terminations, but the personnel changes come about eight months after a November 2025 incident in which a pit bull died while in the care of a private caretaker.
While the dog was not in Animal Services’ custody at the time of its death, animal control officers had visited the home after a neighbor’s complaint and given the caretaker a two-week period to show improvement in the dog’s emaciated condition or find a rescue partner, according to county records.
The incident drew public criticism of the shelter’s practices, though those allegations were never substantiated, and county officials have not indicated any connection between that incident and Tuesday’s votes.
Sauer and Waggoner had been in their positions at animal services since their appointments by the fiscal court in May of 2025 and January of 2026, respectively.
