— — It was one step forward and one step back for the SPCA of Niagara on Monday.

Just 72 hours after announcing the hiring of a new veterinarian for its troubled shelter, the SPCA board changed its mind and decided not to bring Lewiston vet Dr. Grant Hobika on board.

The announcement of Hobika’s hiring touched off a flurry of emails to news media outlets, some praising the move and others questioning the choice.

Among the complaints were claims that he didn’t always do everything possible to save sick or injured animals under his care during his time at the Lewiston Animal Hospital. Another source told Greater Niagara Newspapers that Hobika would not rule out the use of heartsticks as a method of animal euthanization.

The use of heartsticks at the Niagara County shelter drew heavy criticism in an independent investigation of operations there by Erie County SPCA Executive Director Barbara Carr.

Carr called the use of heartsticks, which are legal in New York but outlawed in other states, “excruciatingly painful” and “awful” for the animals.

“I recommended that we avoid the whole controversy by not hiring (Hobika),” the board’s independent counsel, Paul Cambria said Monday night. “Short of hiring Dr. Dolittle, I think there’s going to be some negative reaction to everybody.”

In a statement released late Thursday, the board had touted Hobika’s hiring as “an independent veterinarian,” who would be an “on-site veterinarian, overseeing medical care of all animals at the facility.”

The move followed a GNN investigation that revealed charges of a failure to provide proper or adequate medical treatment and care to animals at the SPCA facility on Lockport Road.

A New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets surprise inspection of the shelter, days after the first reports on problems there, also discovered a lack of any veterinary treatment records for animals at the shelter for all of 2011.

The shelter has not had a full or even part-time veterinarian on staff for some time. Medical treatment for animals was provided on an emergency basis at a Grand Island animal hospital and routine care was administered by either a veterinary technician or by SPCA of Niagara board member and veterinarian Dr. William Gerber.

In its statement, the SPCA board had said Hobika would “evaluate all animals and oversee their care, as well as assist in the development of animal handling protocols.”

Hobika’s hiring was expected to bring some stability to the shelter in the wake of the firing of its Executive Director John Faso and the search for his replacement. Cambria said the board will now “head in a different direction.”

The independent counsel also confirmed that he and at least two members of the SPCA board will meet with a representative of the New York Attorney General’s office later today. A group of volunteers, who were supporters of Faso, recently filed a complaint with the attorney general over the conduct of the SPCA board.

Cambria said the meeting is to see whether the attorney general’s office can provide some guidance in a restructuring of the local SPCA board. The New York Attorney General is one of three state departments or agencies that have some regulatory oversight for SPCAs.

“They offer some training for board members of not-for-profits,” Cambria said.

The well-known Buffalo defense lawyer and animal advocate said he is also continuing to work with the board on updating and revising its by-laws and assisting in the search for an interim executive director for the shelter.

“It’s not rare to find organizations around the country in the same, or worse, condition (than the SPCA of Niagara),” Cambria said. “I just want to get this place back on track.”