Video Allegedly Shows Dead Dog Being Tossed Into Animal Shelter’s Dumpster

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Our media outlet recently received video footage purportedly depicting someone throwing a deceased – and likely frozen – canine into a dumpster at the city of Columbia, South Carolina’s animal services facility on “Humane Way” just off of Shop Road southeast of the city.

The footage has previously been posted to social media by advocates for reform of this city division, which is “charged with the humane care and euthanasia of unwanted pets in the city and (in) Richland County.”

Here is the clip …

(Click to View)

Reporter Cynthia Beasley of WIS TV-10 (NBC – Columbia, S.C.) previously published records detailing the shelter’s habit of euthanizing dogs within days of them entering the shelter – often failing to document why animals were killed. Beasley’s reporting noted that many of these killings appeared to have been in contravention of the state’s “stray hold” law, which requires shelters to keep animals alive for at least five days to give their owners time to locate them.

Former shelter volunteer Felicia Lee told Beasley “stray holds aren’t being done.”

Beasley’s story prompted Columbia S.C. councilwoman Aditi Bussells to request quarterly euthanasia reports from the shelter, yet sources familiar with the operation of the facility – who’ve asked to speak on the condition of anonymity – insist best practices still aren’t being followed.

Sources tell FITSNews a large number of animals are still being euthanized in violation of the “stray hold” law, and that dead animals are being stored in a walk-in freezer when there are too many to dispose of through the facility’s crematorium.

Columbia animal services superintendent Victoria Riles told FITSNews “Our Animal Services facility operates in accordance with best practices, which includes the use of incineration as the primary method of animal disposal. However, if the shelter incinerator is temporarily out of commission, alternative means of disposal are exercised. In 2021 the shelter incinerator of approximately 15 years ceased to operate effectively, this development necessitated the acquisition of a new incinerator. During that time, temporary methods of animal disposal were used. The new incinerator was installed in June of 2022 and is currently the sole source for animal disposal. This machine will seek periodical maintenance and downtime.”

FITSNews is investigating other alleged improprieties in the shelter’s operations and will update readers as the situation develops. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to reach out to dylan@fitsnews.com.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Via: Travis Bell)

Dylan Nolan is the director of special projects at FITSNews. He graduated from the Darla Moore school of business in 2021 with an accounting degree. Got a tip or story idea for Dylan? Email him here. You can also engage him socially @DNolan2000.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to proactively address? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.