Cherokee County Assistant Administrator Holland Belue thinks he's found the right person to manage the county's beleaguered animal shelter.

And he didn't have to look too far.

Melissa Cannon, a euthanasia

technician at the Spartanburg Humane Society, was hired Monday as the county's first-ever animal shelter manager. She will oversee shelter operations as well as perform euthanizations. Cannon received her euthanasia certification from USC-Beaufort.

"She was the clear-cut person after I got through the interviews because of her skill set and qualifications," Belue said.

Belue said he interviewed four of the eight applicants for the position.

Cannon, who began her duties Monday, will earn $27,500 a year. Cherokee County Council ordered her pay to be equivalent to the salary earned by Cherokee animal control officer Sammy Crowe.

The county's animal control officers have been prohibited from performing intracardial injections, more commonly known as "heart sticks," after local animal rights groups claimed the officers violated animal cruelty laws by failing to fully sedate the animals prior to the procedure. The groups' claims triggered a State Law Enforcement Division investigation into the euthanasia practices at the shelter.

Belue said Cannon was aware of the ongoing state probe.

With the search for a shelter manager complete, Belue said he's turning his attention to filling the euthanasia/shelter maintenance technician position.

In a restructuring of the animal shelter, the county eliminated the clerk position. Calls concerning animal control are routed through the county's public works department.