LC4 employee who mistreated dogs found with gun in her bag

On her first day back to work after being suspended for mishandling dogs at Lucas County Canine Care and Control, an LC4 employee was escorted from the building by her boss after announcing she had a gun in her purse.

When Mehgan M. Yunker, 32, returned to work on the morning of Oct. 2, she told officials — including Michael Hart, Lucas County chief of staff and interim warden and director of LC4 — that she had a gun and pepper spray in her purse.

According to a report filed Friday with Toledo police, Ms. Yunker was told the gun and pepper spray were prohibited in government buildings and she should put them in her car. As Mr. Hart escorted her through the parking lot to her vehicle so she could put the gun in the glove box, Ms. Yunker pulled the gun from her purse as she walked, according to the report.

On Friday, Ms. Yunker was placed on paid administrative leave while officials launched an investigation into her actions. On Tuesday, she was notified the board of Lucas County commissioners was planning to discipline her for “failure of good behavior,” according to documents in her personnel file.

In a letter to Ms. Yunker, Employee Relations Manager Birdena Martin cited the county’s workplace-violence prevention policy, specifically the portion that prohibits “unauthorized possession or inappropriate use of firearms, weapons, or any other dangerous devices while on county property or conducting county business.”

According to the letter, “signage prohibiting firearms from being in the building, consistent with state law, is posted near the main entrance.”

The incident comes on the heels of Ms. Yunker’s suspension for abusing dogs at the shelter. In July, a volunteer obtained security footage showing Ms. Yunker spraying dogs with a hose and pushing a dog into its cage. The footage was posted on social media, creating an uproar.

At the time, commissioners had placed Ms. Yunker on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, which later concluded the dogs were mishandled and her actions were inappropriate, though they did not meet the legal criteria for animal cruelty.

The report, released in September, recommended Ms. Yunker receive a 10-day unpaid suspension with seven days held in abeyance.

It was also recommended that regular observation of her performance, particularly when handling difficult dogs, be implemented to assess whether her behavior improves and aligns with LC4 protocols. Other recommendations included retraining Ms. Yunker, specifically in handling stressed or aggressive animals.

Ms. Yunker is a member of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union. As a canine care technician, she is paid $19.01 an hour.

Sarah Elms, spokesman for Lucas County commissioners, said the commissioners do not comment on personnel matters.