An animal activist group is leveling serious allegations against the Walker County animal shelter.

Among other abuse complaints, the group claims animal control officers aren’t using humane euthanasia practices.

Dawn Bechtold of the Atlanta-based U.S. Animal Protection agency alleges the animal shelter has used “blunt force trauma to kill (animals), and let the animals wander around after they have been lethally injected.”

County Coordinator David Ashburn refutes the claims. He said the shelter leaves animals lying on the table to make sure the lethal injection is 100-percent effective.

Curtis Patterson, shelter director, said the shelter was not cited for any deficiencies in a recent state inspection.

“We were inspected within the last two weeks,” Patterson said. “They said we had the best records of any place they had been and gave us a very good recommendation.”

He said the shelter is required to keep detailed records of all the dosage amounts given to animals.

The county plans to build a new animal shelter. Construction could begin next month.

“Dosages are prescribed by a veterinarian, and they qualify all our practices,” Ashburn said. “We have to obtain it from them.”

“I would really like to sit down with these people and hear where they are getting their information,” Patterson said.

Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said Bechtold contacted her last week.

“These allegations are being spread by a former county employee to this group,” Heiskell said. “The animal control officers do not reflect what he said.”

Alison Smith-Hardinger, chairman of the North Georgia Animal League, she has not been contacted by any member of U.S. Animal Protection.

“I was contacted via e-mail by a state animal group, but do not know if it is the same one,” she said.

Bechtold said that witnesses, as well as the former county employee that her organization has spoken with, are afraid to talk publicly because certain animal shelter workers allegedly told them “if they talk, they are as good as dead.”

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