This is the latest on developments surrounding the alleged shooting of shelter dogs in Chesterfield Co, SC. This post will be updated if new information emerges today.
Last night, I was mocking something the Sheriff of Chesterfield Co said in an interview regarding the prospect of the shelter closing:
“The citizens of Chesterfield County will once again have animals running wild.”
But today I came across this article which says:
According to shelter records, six animals were killed and 12 others were released elsewhere.
Whoa. I’m trying to figure out what that means exactly. Released to rescue? Released to another shelter? Released to a research facility? Released as in “Run, frolic and be free, you wascals!”? I fear it’s the latter. In which case, it would seem that the Sheriff’s warning may have been based on the actions of his own ACOs. Dang, this thing just keeps getting uglier.
One bit of good news. I just got off the phone with the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. They are saying the investigation has been turned over to the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED). SLED will determine if any criminal actions will be brought and if so, the state AG will prosecute. This is progress. I think all the phone calls and letters are having an impact.
The Solicitor’s office is preparing a press release, probably for the end of the week.
Is the contact info for SLED available so people are able to contact them about this case?
Here is the story announcing that SLED is taking over the investigation:
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/27120273/detail.html
Thanks for posting that – I must’ve been typing my response when you were posting. Good to hear that SLED definitely IS taking on the case….
Thanks!
The video on Scnow.com one of the news reporters says that SLED declined to investigate the case because they say no criminal activity took place. So which is it – is SLED investigating or not???? I know that you were told that the investigation has been turned over to SLED, but the reporter is saying something else entirely. Could it be that SLED wasn’t going to get involved and that has since changed? I hope that’s the case…..
Yesterday SLED said they wouldn’t investigate. Today they reversed their position, probably due to the deluge of calls to the Governor and AG.
After watching/reading the link you posted I realized that it was due to the pressure everyone is putting on them. Thanks again for posting it…I was getting confused as to exactly what was happening due to the many different media outlets and the various stories running around about this.
Your last two paragraphs are good news. I keep going back to the report that two vials had been purchased since September, 2010 according to shelter records. Howver, shelter records also show that 80 euthanizations were done from September to now. If two vials will put down 14 dogs, as indicated in reports I’ve read, what happened to the 66 that are on the books as being euthanized?
The plot thickens….Very good point!We probably don’t want to know what happaned to them. I would imagine this practice of shooting them has been going on for quite some time. I’m sure there are plenty of other ‘shelters’ doing this and other bad things to animals and we just don’t even know about it.
I really hope that someone who is “dog friendly” is part of the investigation. I have so many suspicions against them otherwise. Yes, realeased to whom? They may be trying to make it look good to appease us, but we need to know exactly how and where they were released. I do not think they were “let go to go free”, come on. But I do hope some good comes of this if only to let them know there are many people who care humane treatment of animals. Can’t they initiate a “no Kill” program and be instructed on how it goes? Maybe a little education for them would be useful to the dogs in the future.
Unfortunately Susan, there are several people I’ve spoken to who are associated with the shelter who believe that is exactly the case – that the dogs were “set free”. If that turns out to be true, I hope they make it out of Chesterfield Co before they get picked up by AC again.
The Paws and Claws vols have been saying all along that some puppies were released along a road. I heard it from a rescuer in SC on Fri. who heard it from Paws and Claws, but nothing was confirmed. P&C mentioned it again on FB today saying the pups were very young and left without food or meds so probably haven’t survived. I don’t know the law in SC, but in many states abandoning an animal is a crime.
To be perfectly honest – we’re talking about animal control run by police officers…I seriously doubt they are going to be interested in going no kill – although that would be great. I think the best course of action in this case is to remove the Sheriff & his deputies and maybe hand over the facility to Paws N Claws to run. Heck, they (PNC) are the reason most of the animals have made it out of the facility alive! I can’t even begin to imagine the change that would take place if they allowed the rescue to take over this! The folks from Paws N Claws are real animal lovers and do go above & beyond to try and find homes for these animals…I can just imagine how wonderful the facility would be run by a rescue that is all for finding homes for animals, rather than killing them.
story on CNN today
I contacted the AG and was sent a response that said they did not have jurisdiction over this. Is that true or not? Please keep us posted on contacts and if any meetings are held where piblic support would be helpful.
This Sheriff is either incompetent, a liar or both. Firing seems to be in order.