Shelter probe complete

Cherokee County will defend animal shelter employees if any charges arise from a recent state investigation into accusations of animal cruelty.

At Monday's meeting, county council agreed to pay for the legal defense of county animal shelter employees against any potential charges stemming from an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

SLED was looking into accusations from local animal shelter volunteers that county animal control officers violated state law by failing to fully sedate animals before euthanizing them.

SLED has forwarded its investigative report to the S.C. Attorney General's Office.

Animal shelter employees recently received a letter from the attorney general's office advising the employees to seek legal representation. Based on the letter, interim county administrator Ben Clary asked county council at Monday's meeting to provide legal counsel for the employees.

"The employees have not done anything illegal," Clary told council members. "They've been doing what we instructed them to do, and we said we would provide legal defense for them."

There was no word on what course of action, if any, the S.C. Attorney General's Office might pursue.

The county's public works committee will meet Thursday at 3 p.m. at Spartanburg Community College to discuss the Cherokee County Animal Control Shelter. The meeting will be held in the corporate and community education building.

County council chairman Hoke Parris supported the county's decision to defend the animal shelter employees.

"The employees did what we told them to do," Parris said. "We ought to provide a defense for them."