CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. -- As many as 50 dogs were allegedly shot and then dumped in a landfill near an animal control shelter in South Carolina.
The doors at animal control in Chesterfield County were closed Monday and the officers were all home on leave as the sheriff's office continued to investigate why unwanted dogs were killed this way.
Investigators spent much of the day digging in the landfill for clues.
The allegations first surfaced last Friday when prisoners who work at the shelter told volunteers there they had seen the dogs shot.
"They were shot in the head at point blank range -- thrown in a shallow grave and left for dead," said one animal rights activist.
Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker says as many as 50 dogs may have been killed this way.
Parker says he can't imagine why this happened. He says he never would have authorized it and he said the shelter had the drug they normally use to euthanize the dogs on supply
"I do know for a fact the chemicals were there, some questions have to be answered. Where did the authority come from and when did this solution develop? We are trying to get that answered," Parker said.
South Carolina law says that animals can be shot -- in an emergency or if they're sick or a danger -- so the solicitor will be the one to decide if anything illegal actually happened. Parker says he's also investigating allegations that this wasn't the first time shelter dogs had been shot.
Parker says he realizes how many people are outraged by these allegations. His office is getting threatening phone calls and letters from across his county and the entire country. He expects the investigation to finish up this week and then the solicitor will decide on any possible criminal charges.
