Council OKs investigation by U.S. Humane Society

• By DEBRA LEMOINE
• Advocate Florida parishes bureau
• Published: Aug 12, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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AMITE — Facing hundreds of concerned residents, the Tangipahoa Parish Council unanimously voted Monday night to accept an offer from the Humane Society of the United States to evaluate its animal control operations.

On Aug. 4, the population of cats and dogs held at the parish’s animal shelter were euthanized because some animals were sick, prompting outrage from residents and activists. Four people were allowed to speak to the council Monday.

Besides the Humane Society evaluation, the parish government retained Hammond attorney Glen Galbraith to conduct an investigation into the operations of the shelter that led to the decision to euthanize the animals and led to the situation where enough of the animals were sick that officials decided to put them all down.

Galbraith told the council that his investigation will be ready by the end of the week, but much of it will need to be given in executive session because it involves personnel issues.

After the meeting, Galbraith said he has spoken to all of the animal control employees except for the three who resigned last week in protest of the mass euthanasia.

To counter rumors that the veterinarian who performed the euthanasia did so inhumanely, Galbraith said he talked to animal control officers who witnesses the act and said he was told the veterinarian used an intravenous solution to put down the animals.

Mary Ann Newcomb, a former kennel worker has said she witnessed the veterinarian injecting sodium pentathol directly into the heart of the animals without sedation, a practice considered inhumane by some.

Parish President Gordon Burgess said after the meeting that he does not know when the animal shelter will reopen. However, the parish is evaluating how it can re-establish emergency services, such as bite calls.

“It’s important to the Tangipahoa Parish government that the animal shelter in our community be seen as a center of service and an engine of good works for animals,” parish officials said in a written statement passed out to the news media at the meeting.

“Conflicts relating to animal control, especially one as serious as the one we are experiencing, tend to divide rather than unite.”

Holding signs made up of a collage of pictures of the “176” animals that died Aug. 4, animal activists expressed anger and outrage over the decision to euthanize all the animals and the lack of answers about what justified such actions.

The parish had two local veterinarians evaluate the animals and said an airborne virus sickened the pets. They also suggested corona virus, a typical mild, treatable gastrointestinal illness spread by feces contact, as the possible cause. No other explanation has been offered since.

Fran Kraus, an animal rescuer from Amite, called to have the National Animal Control Association  conduct an investigation as well as the re-establishment of an advisory panel made up residents to advise the parish on operations of the shelter.