Atlanta Humane Society settles lawsuit
06/04/2005

By Michelle Taylor
Staff Writer
michelle.taylor@gwinnettdailypost.com

LAWRENCEVILLE— A four-year-long libel lawsuit with the Atlanta Humane Society came to an end for Kathi Mills on Friday.
The Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, citing Mills had made “defamatory statements” regarding AHS and its director, Bill Garrett, against her was thrown out.
“This is not just a victory for me,” said Mills, an animal welfare activist. “This is a victory for anyone who chose to speak out on an issue and a corporation has tried to squash their First Amendment right.”
Following a WSB-TV “whistleblower” investigation that alleged the AHS had grossly inflated adoption statistics, did not investigate cruelty cases and lied in fundraising literature about the kill rate, Mills made comments in a Yahoo chat room on the situation.
Mills said she summarized the report in the members-only chat room for animal rescuers around Atlanta and wrote commentary on the investigation. She said another animal activist forwarded the conversation to the AHS, resulting in the SLAPP suit.
The verdict said because the AHS was contracted by Fulton County government to run the Fulton County Animal Shelter, it was a quasi-governmental agency, and because Garrett is considered a public figure, libel would have to be proven. Because negligence and malicious intent could not be proved, libel could not be proved, thus throwing out the case.
Mills was not and is not affiliated with AHS, nor has she adopted any animals from the organization.
Mills was not the only person served with a SLAPP suit. Barbara Hawkins, a former AHS employee, was also served, and hers was also deemed “moot.”