I heard from Mike Bass, director of animal control here in Arlington. I was glad he took the time to call me, and he sounded genuinely concerned.

He told me that he had a talk with the employee in question, and the employee admitted to not treating the dogs very well. He said this guy is going through some life-threatening medical procedures, and also stated very bluntly that this was no excuse for his behavior. Further action will be taken as they continue to look into this matter, but I kind of got the feeling that nothing else would be done at this time. Personally, I think that making the employee aware that someone knows about his behavior may be enough to make him stop doing it, or at least think twice before being mean to the animals. I hope, for their sake, I'm right.
He also gave me a little hope by saying that he is working hard to get a volunteer program implemented, and also fighting to get a vet on staff.

He didn't really address the problems of the lack of food, or the water buckets that were too high, except to say that the dogs are only fed once a day, with the exception of young puppies, and the mothers nursing their puppies. It was the answer I expected.

Overall, the conversation went very well. I could tell not only by what he said, but by the way he said it, that he cares very much for all the animals in his shelter, and I truly believe that with time, he will make things change.