Huntington , Cabell County , West Virginia

A former volunteer is accusing an animal control center of not properly euthanizing a puppy after it was allegedly discovered in a trash bag.

Beverly O'Dell is a former volunteer coordinator for the Cabell-Wayne Animal Control Shelter and claims the shelter improperly euthanized animals and is in deplorable conditions.

Two sanitation workers say they were picking up trash bags at the shelter when they heard a whimper coming from inside one of the bags. The workers say they discovered one dead and one live puppy inside.

County Manager Chris Tatum says veterinarians have told him it's not uncommon for this to happen.

"You have small animals and to detect respiration or heartbeats is nearly impossible with a stethoscope in that small of an animal. It does happen. There are instances where one has been euthanized and not completely dead," Tatum said.

"I'm saddened that humans can treat animals like this. It's appalling to me. I'm just deeply saddened," O'Dell said.

The shelter director will hold a news conference early next week. The conference will discuss this issue, as well as, what he calls positive changes at the facility over the past eight months, including a low number of euthanizations.

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