UPDATE********  THE MAYOR HAS STATED THAT HE HAS CONCLUDED HIS INVESTIGATION INTO THE SHOOTING OF THE CAGED DOG AND IT IS HIS OPINION THAT THE DOG WAS VISCIOUS AND NO LAW WAS BROKEN. IT IS THIS CONTINUED NARROW MINDED APPROACH THAT HAS MADE THE CITY THE PATHETIC PROBLEM IT IS IN REGARDS TO ANIMALS.  --- It has always been speculation that the Jackson Alabama animal control officer Terry Lee Hutto, whether to save the city money or for his own self-serving reasons, used cruel and inhumane methods to euthanize the dogs held at the pound. One of those methods was the accusation that dogs were being shot by Hutto. During a recent meeting with the mayor a supporter of making changes at the dog pound mentioned witnesses to such an event. Hutto was questioned by mayor last week and asked which city employee witnessed him shooting a dog. Hutto named the employee and the employee was then brought into the mayor's office and questioned. He spoke the truth. His account: Hutto called him to the pound for help. The dog was in a crate/live trap and Hutto couldn't get him out. They allegedly tried for 45 min and couldn't get the dog distressed dog out. The employee then said he had to leave and Hutto got a pistol and shot the dog in the crate. Both said the dog was aggressive but Hutto has stated in the past that many were aggressive or vicious and this turned out to not be the case. Furthermore any animal that is trapped or cornered in unfamiliar territory is not unlikely to exhibit aggressive behavior. Cherry, the dog pictured with cherry eyes on the "what's going on at the Jackson, AL pound" page was vicious according to Hutto and that is far from the truth as was the case with many other dogs pulled from the pound and adopted out by rescue. Even if the crated dog was aggressive, no one was in danger and he could have picked the crate up and took him to the vet. OR he could have tranquilized him in the crate. The mayor was given this information last Friday and Hutto still has a job. Under Alabama Code Section 3-7A-8 Destruction of impounded dogs, cats, and ferrets; when authorized; redemption by owner; adoption of animals. All dogs, cats, and ferrets which have been impounded in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, after notice is given to the owner as provided in Section 3-7A-7, may be humanely destroyed and disposed of when not redeemed by the owner within seven days. There is no justification that shooting this animal was in any way a humane act.