CLINTON, Tenn. (WATE) — For some residents of Anderson County, the commission meeting Monday evening was a step in the right direction after months of criticism that dates years when it comes to the Anderson County Animal Shelter.
“We’ve got one person that mainly oversees the shelter and makes the decisions and that can be for euthanization, and we have found out that was done improperly,” Beverly Kay, one of the concerned citizens said.
Commissioners agreed to bring about an advisory committee for the shelter after many of the allegations were pointed at the director of the shelter, Brian Porter. There are claims Porter has conducted animal euthanizations with an expired license. There are also concerns about how he runs the shelter.
Porter wasn’t in attendance on Monday, but last week he spoke before commissioners stating everything that is being said is false.
“That is garbage. Complete garbage. Never happened, never will,” Porter stated at the previous meeting.
However, many residents say they have had experiences that show red flags. Kay claims she watched Porter euthanize cats and kittens without sedation with a heart stick needle, which Kay described as very painful and inhumane.
Another concerned citizen, Marcia Kay Illingworth said she volunteered to foster a kitten from the shelter. Once it was in her care, she said she knew it needed attention from a vet. She then claims that once she offered to take the kitten to her own vet, the shelter said they could have their vet look at the kitten. Illingworth said she was told over the phone that nothing was wrong with the kitten and it would be put up for adoption.
Illingworth adopted the kitten within five minutes of the phone call and took it to her own vet where documents show a list of problems with the kitten. Illingworth said she’s heard similar stories from others.
“My husband and I take the ones that nobody else will take, rather than let them be euthanized, and I’d kind of like to see our shelter get that way,” she said.
Now residents are hoping for more to be done.
“These animals will not die in vain, and we ask this community to step up and speak and call for action and ask the people to be removed that are not caring compassion toward these animals,” Kay said.
“I just want to see that everybody gets the treatment they’re supposed to get, that the inadequacies in the system are addressed and corrected,” Illingworth said.
Previous commission meetings have been held on the topic.