Alabama Abuse of power update - Claims disputed by witness

Humane Society claims disputed by witnesses

Noah Chandler
Eagle Reporter
Tuesday, Jun 02, 2009
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The couple who turned over to the Walker County Humane Society a dog allegedly euthanized about an hour after being received contradicted a Humane Society official’s claim that the dog behaved aggressively — a reason given for the prompt termination of the 1-year-old boxer that belonged to an area resident.

Peggy Dunn and James Martin, neighbors of the dog’s owner, Marcus Campbell, said they had no problem getting “Boost” into a pet taxi provided by the agency on June 19.

“He didn’t fight or nothing,” Dunn said.

Martin said there was no reason for Boost to be euthanized.

“He was too friendly of a dog,” Martin said.

However, Walker County Humane Society Director Lane Reno said the dog was acting in a hostile manner, behavior she said played a part in the decision to put the dog to sleep.

“The dog would not come out of the carrier so we had to use a capture pole. That is when he became aggressive.”

The couple, however, disputes this.

“They put a leash on him and he jumped out and walked right in the place,” Dunn said. “It was a regular leash.”

Martin said he watched every move the dog made once unloaded at the Humane Society. From his account, Boost showed no sign of aggression.

“When they took it (pet taxi) off the truck they took a little old leash and put it on him,” Martin said. “He got out of the box and they went inside, walked down the hallway around in the back and that was the last I saw of him.”

Reno, who declined to comment further on the matter Friday, said in a May 22 interview that it was not unusual for dogs to act aggressively at the facility.

“Some of the friendliest dogs change their demeanor as soon as they get here,” Reno said. “They smell the smells and hear all the dogs barking and it scares them. It changes their mind about cooperating.”

Also not unusual, according to Reno, is for her agency to put down dogs on the same day they are turned in.

“They brought the dog in about 3:30 and we closed at 4:30 p.m.,” Reno said on May 22. “It’s not unusual to euthanize an animal once it comes through our doors. I mean, we get so many dogs in and there isn’t much room. And Tuesday we didn’t have any space.”

Campbell filed a lawsuit against Reno and the Walker County Humane Society Tuesday, a week after the dog was reportedly put down.

Campbell’s attorney, Brett Wadsworth, said along with compensating his client’s loss, the suit is aimed at changing the structure of the Humane Society.

“We want a complete change in the way this Humane Society is ran,” he said. “Our goal is not only (Campbell) getting compensation for his loss, but we want to see a management change.”

Wadsworth said the lawsuit also seeks punitive damages.

“We asked for punitive damages in the lawsuit to punish them and prevent them from causing public harm in the future,” Wadsworth said. “We want to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Reno referred all questions on the matter to the Walker County Humane Society’s lawyer, Eddie Jackson. Jackson could not be reached for comment Monday.

Wadsworth said since the story about Boost broke, he began receiving phone calls from others in the area claiming to have shared similar experiences.

“We’ve had numerous calls since this has happened with similar stories,” Wadsworth said. “A lot of people said they quit donating to the Humane Society because of the way this place is run.”

Also getting calls about the matter last week was Birmingham-based radio talk show host Paul Finebaum, whose syndicated program usually revolves around sports. Several callers to Finebaum’s show on Wednesday spoke out about the incident, with some recounting their own dealings with the Walker County Humane Society.

Campbell said dealing with the loss of his pet has been difficult. He had just celebrated Boost’s birthday on May 5.

“It’s been tough and hard, because everyday I look for him to be out in the yard but he’s not there,” Campbell said. “He was my best friend and playmate.”

Campbell said he hopes he can help others avoid his suffering.

“I want to see a change in the way things are done there,” Campbell said. “I want an upgraded facility, if not a new one, and I want to see Mrs. Lane Reno gone and the supporting employees as well. None of them showed any class or heart or any compassion to me when I was standing there. They could have cared less. They don’t need to run that type of facility because they just don’t care.”

Wadsworth plans to speak on the matter at the County Commission meeting scheduled for June 15.

After spotting the dog near their residence, Dunn and Martin retrieved a pet taxi from the Humane Society after first contacting the Jasper Police Department. Martin said he regrets the dog’s collar did not contain contact information.

“Like I told him (Campbell), if it had a name or phone number I could have called him, but it didn’t have one.”