Walker County, AL - 

 

Last week, Marcus Campbell was saddened to learn his dog Boost had been dropped of at the Walker County Humane Society only to be put to sleep less than 30 minutes later.

"You know I was thinking it was a place where they could take him and I could find him, but he wasn't even there 24 hours."

Campbell's attorney, Brett Wadsworth, will file a civil lawsuit on Tuesday- against the Walker County Humane Society, Executive Director Lane Reno, and Walker County this Tuesday, arguing all three broke the law.

"What our goal is in this is not to get a large sum of money," Wadsworth explains. "Our goal is to make sure this does not happen again."

 

The law requires dog or cat owners be notified when their animal is impounded, if ownership can be determined, or the animal may be put up for adoption after at least seven days. The Code of Alabama also requires all counties to have a suitable pound and impound officer. Walker County, which has neither, is essentially breaking the law. The City of Jasper pays the Humane Society to impound its dogs.

"And that's the keyword, 'impound,'" Reno says. "That's official Animal Control when you can impound animals and hold them in hopes that an owner comes, but we just don't have that kind of facility." Reno maintains lack of space has been an issue.

Boost was wearing a collar but no tags; however, Campbell's attorney says the dog should have been kept for more than 30 minutes time.

"I would think if they were out of room, they would put one of these mixed breed dogs down before they would a full blooded boxer. It just doesn't make sense to me."

 

 Email To Friend