In a surprising appointment, Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky appointed Justin Scally, a 26 year old native of Maryland, to be the new Director of Metro Animal Services on July 27, 2011.

Mayor Fischer rejected the proposal by Jessica Reid, of No Kill Louisville, to take over the Animal Services. Scally will begin his new position on August 8, 2011 at a salary of $90,000 per year. Scally says he will "protect public health and safety while humanely caring for animals." Scally is a former newspaper photographer and volunteer firefighter. He also was an employee of the Humane Society of the United States (H$U$) since 2009. He was the manager of the H$U$ Puppy Mill Task Force, then the interim leader of disaster services, responding to natural disasters, such as the recent tornado in Joplin, Missouri and the wildfires in Arizona. He also managed the H$U$' national effort to combat illegal animal operations. He has conducted investigations in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies and deployed rescue teams to save dogs being bred in what the H$U$ considers "puppy mills", which we all know they consider anyone who breeds animals by their definition. Before going to work for the H$U$, Scally was the Director of the Wayne County Department of Animal Control in North Carolina, an animal control officer and a veterinary technician.

Scally's appointment is not being met with favor. There are concerns about the number of jobs (8) he lists for such a young age, and the salary being paid to him in light of the economy. Numerous groups are concerned with his employment at the H$U$, for obvious reasons. Some feel that the hiring process was not transparent. Reid of No Kill Louisville states that "From what I'm reading everything about Justin, he doesn't use the no kill model." He has high kill rates in his past shelter, in one shelter they didn't even adopt out a certain breed of dog." In a statement issued by Mayor Fischer, he says "Justin is the exact leader we need to transform Metro Animal Services to make it the best animal agency in America. He's bright, he's experienced and he's compassionate – and passionate – about animals." Scally's assignment-turn the Louisville Metro Animal Services into a shelter where no "adoptable" animal is killed. He began by naming two key personnel for his department-Donald Robinson of Tampa, Florida, as Assistant Director of Operations and a salary of $81,000 per year, formerly employed at Allied Automotive Group as the Terminal Manager; and Margaret Brosko as Senior Manager of Initiatives and Communications and a salary of $60,000 per year, former Communications Director at Metro Parks, former TV sports news reporter and customer service at Grand Canyon National Park. So where is the hands on animal experience for these two key players in this new "shelter"? What is the connection here?

When asked by a reporter from a Louisville news association if he shared the H$U$ values, Scally cut off the reporter's question, stating that he did not feel it was a relevant question. "I'm coming there to turn around animal services. ... That's a big enough task." Scally stated. The Louisville Metro Animal Services has been in turmoil for a number of years. The former Director, Gilles Meloche, resigned in September 2009 amid allegations of mismanagement and sexual harassment. Wayne Zelinsky, his replacement, resigned just a short 14 months later, due to allegations of a side business of adult entertainment. Assistant Director Jackie Gulbe resigned amid controversy over a dog she put in a suitcase. Scally was chosen over the other finalist for the position, Becky Reiter, who runs the Boone County Animal Shelter in northern Kentucky, served on the state's Animal Control Advisory Board under three governors, grew up in Louisville and worked for the city's animal shelter from 1987-94.