Police chief fires back after group accuses animal shelter of operating in secret

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Protesters are raising concerns about the treatment of animals at a local shelter in Clayton County.
 
A group says the county is not treating animals as well as it should and says it is operating in secret.
 
The Clayton County chief of police denies that and is pointing fingers back at the group that used to coordinate rescues there.
 
"We're just asking them to do something within reason from a business perspective. Sign an MOU. It protects them and us," said Clayton County Police Chief Greg Porter.
 
Porter says the controversy between the county animal shelter and the group Partners for Pets began after he asked the rescue coordinators to sign a formal memorandum of understanding agreement.
 
Partners says the agreement was too stifling
 
We couldn't go without an escort. We were not going to make pictures. There were just too many restrictions. So we left," said Maria Dorough with Partners for Pets. "We don't want anything in secret."
 
Since then the two sides have been pointing fingers at one another. Partners criticized the shelter for euthanizing 22 dogs in one day last week.
 
Porter said it had to because the shelter was over capacity.
 
"It's inhumane to keep an animal in here for over three to four weeks. That's not right to the animals," Porter said.
 
Porter said Partners told him it didn't care if dogs were euthanized and only cared about the animals that were funded by donors.
 
Dorough said that's not what she meant.
 
"If you're going to have to put one down why not choose the one that has no interest or funding," Dorough said.
 
Porter said his department received complaints about Partners' questionable business deals.
 
"I have asked my department to reach out to possibly the GBI and/or the FBI to investigate these complaints," Porter said.
 
Partners for Pets said it has done nothing wrong and would like the GBI to investigate the county for how it is handling this animal shelter.
 
That group, as well as concerned citizens, are calling for positive changes at the shelter.

WSBTV