We reported on April 10th about “Dog Owners Resist Attempts to Check on Animals’ Welfare.”As it turns out, the focus of that investigation was against the Shawnee Humane Society’s humane agent and its directors, Joshua and Kathi Jo McAlister.
Joshua McAlister discussed the incident exclusively with SCDN on Thursday.
Leading off the discussion, McAlister said that the call was not dispatched. Rather, McAlister alleges that the Sheriff’s Deputy received a phone call from potentially another rescue and decided to investigate herself.
Mr. McAlister said the Deputy was very unprofessional and violated their Fourth Amendment rights by entering private property and searching.
Of the Deputy, McAlister said she was acting “like a hood rat” by “flopping her head” and “smacking her hands.”
In addition to the Sheriff’s Deputy, another humane agent, and the Scioto County dog pound were on the scene.
According to McAlister, the reason was quite simple. He says they wanted their expensive dogs. “They wanted our dogs for their personal use because they knew one’s pregnant.”
McAlister explained that a Captain from the Sheriff’s office went to the property within 24 hours of their request. The Captain, according to McAlister, stated, “Your kennel is amazing. He said, your dogs are amazing. And he actually toured inside and walked around the kennel. And he said these things are absolutely stunningly beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with your dogs.”
The first Deputy on the scene, as well as the other responding animal enforcement officers, disagree with this assessment.
There may or may not be more activity regarding this case. SCDN is committed to reporting both sides of the story when those involved reach out.
To conclude his public remarks, McAlister said, “ We don’t just represent ourselves when we go out to do an animal case. We represent this county. Because it ultimately comes down to how the county is going to look.”
A Humane Agent is a volunteer who investigates domestic animal and livestock cruelty. They take extensive training through the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation and then have to be personally approved by a local probate judge.
