Mass Animal Euthanasia Triggers Investigation

Why are humans the only living beings who have rights? Animals are seen as property. They have no rights.

The Humane Society of Louisiana is now launching an investigation of the Tangipahoa Animal Shelter after parish leaders ordered every animal in the shelter put to sleep earlier this week.

They also plan to take the investigation statewide.

"This tragedy could have been averted with more input from other people with more rescue groups who might have been notified to come and help pull some of these animals," says Jeff Dorson Director of Humane Society of Louisiana.

Director Jeff Dorson points to the 9 animals quickly removed and saved on Monday who he says are healthy. "We've also had veterinarians call and say they would have never recommended this because they would have had a different approach and that is spend a little bit of money we're talking 50 cents or less per dose of antibiotics or anti-diarrheal."

And they say they would have also gotten rescue volunteers and other shelters to hold animals until the clean up was done.

"Our main concern is why us and some of the local rescuers were not called, being that we did have a working relationship with the animal control where we could have came in and have the vets decide which ones were really sick which ones were not," says Randy Stegall of the Tangipahoa Humane Society Chapter.

But in a phone call today Parish President Gordon Burgess and his attorney said he is serious about finding out what happened and will thoroughly investigate this. He has found no evidence that the shelter under previous direction had a similar outbreak and was able to save most of the animals. He adds that two veterinarians recommend the mass euthanasia due to the contagious illness and he says a state vet and Department of Agriculture later agreed with his decision to put all the animals down. And the parish says it was not much more than the 132 animals on average put down per week because people don't spay and neuter causing over population.

Parish President Burgess admits that interim shelter director Donald Dotey does not have animal experience. But volunteers still continue to come forward to say his inexperience is not the only problem.

"He was hostile towards rescue groups he was hostile towards the kennel crew volunteers were run off it became so unbearable my wife and Idecided it was best in our best interest not to come. Unfortunately it didn't help the dogs," says two-year shelter volunteer Eric Weissborn.

Mr. Dotey has not yet returned our phone calls.

The Humane Society of Louisiana is also beginning to inspect all small shelters around the state and calling for state regulation.

The Tangipahoa chapter and many animal advocates plan to ask the parish Monday night for a committee to over see the shelter. That meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in Amite at the Parish Annex on Mulberry Street.