Case Report

Thurman, was the Director of Rogers Code Enforcement Office, which oversees the city's animal shelter. Thurman resigned when it became apparent that cats and dogs were routinely drowned in a 50-gallon barrel at the animal shelter. Thurman said the practice of drowning the animals was one he inherited but that he continued to allow it. Thurman said that he was told in February 1999 by the shelter manager and chief animal control officer that drowning was an acceptable method of destroying stray animals. Neither of those people still work for the city and deny the accusation. Further it has been discovered that the animals were improperly disposed on city property.

The case came to the city's attention from a new employee at the shelter, Scott Fredricks and a city animal control officer who had gone by the abandoned dump to dispose of a cat they found dead on the side of the road. Fredricks worked at the shelter only one day and at his lunch break, turned in his resignation and quit his job.

Benton County Prosecuting Attorney office is investigating the drowning as possible crimes and also investigating the timeline of when and how the policy of drowning as a means for euthanasia actually began at the shelter. This may lead to charges being brought against other city employee's.

Mayor Steve Wormack has asked Captain Steve Helms of the Rogers Police Department to conduct an internal investigation. The State Department of Environmental Quality is also looking into the dumping of animal carcasses by city workers at the abandoned city landfill.

According to the former manager of the cities shelter the practice of drowning the animals started in 1996.

References