In April 2013, Campbell Co pound employee Brenda Watkins provided sworn testimony to alleged abuse she witnessed. Among the allegations:
- Pets were killed in their kennels in full view of other animals.
- Animals were chokepoled and then jabbed in random areas of their body with syringes containing improper dosages of Fatal Plus.
- Some animals took “quite awhile” to die, thrashing in their cages, spewing blood and feces.
- Victims of the botched “euthanasia” procedures were placed into the freezer alive.
The TN Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners conducted its own investigation into the claims and apparently found them to be truthful. Last month, the board placed the Campbell Co pound’s euthanasia license into a probationary category for at least one year.
The board had a long list of violations, among them professional incompetence, not using a euthanasia room separate from other animals, acts of dishonesty, and inappropriate use of lethal solutions.
“It sounds worse than it is,” says Campbell County Mayor William Baird.
Oh no he didn’t.
“We hope we got all the problems fixed,” Baird says.
We hope. We can’t say we know all the problems are fixed because that would imply some sort of supernatural ability to know a thing that’s our job to know. But we hope. Because even in our darkest hour – which this is not, because it sounds worse than it is – erm, even in our medium-lightest hour, hope springs eternal.
I’m remembering when the Campbell Co deputy mayor blamed Those Meddling Kids for the problems at the pound and retaliated by refusing to do his job. I’d really like to put the Campbell Co mayor into some sort of Ultimate Jerk Cage Match against the deputy mayor to see who wins. It’s necessary. Because otherwise we have an unsolvable mystery on our hands.
(Thanks Clarice for the link.)