Animal Shelter Employees Arrested After Video Of Treatment Goes Viral

Back in July two employees of the Columbus Animal Care & Control facility were caught on tape discussing the fact that they could go home faster if the euthanasia process went faster. In another part of the facility, employees can be seen loading carcasses of dead dogs onto a rolling cart. 

Meanwhile, in full view of a camera, a dog was taken from the kennel and placed on the cement floor beside the kennels, and its tortuous death began. Several staffers injected the poor animal time and again. After more than 30 minutes and one failed heart injection, the dog, who had been left alone all this time, was loaded in the cart that contained the bodies of numerous other dead dogs. 

This, of course, resulted in a booming outcry from animal loving concerned citizens throughout the Valley. The video was placed on social media and the Columbus Council meeting that followed was filled with outraged citizens. The council passed a motion calling for an external investigation of the matter. 

A search warrant was executed Aug. 26. The investigation was called for by Columbus Council one month after surveillance footage of a dog being euthanized in the main kennel area went viral.

As officials wait for answers, Public Works Director Drale Short placed the manager of Columbus Animal Care & Control, Canita Johnson, and field supervisor, Alexander Pimentel, on administrative leave with pay.

We now have more answers.

Deputy Police Chief Lance Deaton announced in a news conference that arrest warrants had been issued for eight employees.  

The eight city employees face a combined 34 criminal charges in connection with the investigation of animal cruelty and procedural violations, Deaton said.

According to the police department the cruelty charges are not related to physical abuse, but omission of care.

Marie Knight of Columbus said some facilities seem to euthanize animals too quickly. 

“I knew a woman who had a care dog. She and the dog had to go through training — just like with a seeing eye dog. Sometime later she was arrested, but they didn’t take the dog with her, and when friends asked to take care of the dog, they were told they’d have to get a notarized statement turning the dog over to them. The dog was a pit bull mix. One of the facilities put the dog to sleep two days later,” Knight said.

“If more people would try to connect with cats and dogs, nature, and life would be more nurturing. It’s pretty simple,” Columbus  resident Jenifer Jones said. “Instead of having the position of those ‘terrible’ conditions, if people adopted helpless creatures and nurtured them, there would be no problem.”

With eight employees now out of work from the shelter, there are only 13 employees left working, and City Manager Isaiah Hugley said the facility can’t operate in compliance with so few workers.

Hugley has reached out to PAWS Humane, an organization with an outstanding record, to seek their assistance. Hugley said he and PAWS representatives would work up a proposal to present to Mayor Skip Henderson and the Columbus Council.