On March 11, 2026, a Georgia Department of Agriculture inspector visited Clayton County Animal Control, reviewed the shelter's euthanasia records, and issued a formal violation. The inspector wrote: "I viewed the euthanasia records where majority of the animals were euthanized using intracardial injections. Due to these findings, a violation was issued." That same day, the violation was removed. The GDA has not explained why.

Twenty days later, Clayton County Animal Control posted on Facebook that it had passed a surprise inspection with zero deficiencies.

The euthanasia method at the center of the removed violation is called a heart stick, an intracardiac injection that Georgia law and American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines say can only be used as a last resort, and only when an animal is fully unconscious. Drug logs obtained through records requests show that Clayton County's staff veterinarian used the heart stick as the initial method of euthanasia nearly 90% of the time from February 2025 to February 2026.

When advocates requested the drug log page corresponding to the euthanasia of Kona, a former K-9, the page was missing from the records provided. When they asked for it, the county stopped providing drug logs entirely, claiming a privacy exemption meant to protect personal veterinary records, for stray and abandoned animals with no owner.

Clayton County's shelters are publicly funded. They are closed to the public. No volunteers are permitted inside. The only people allowed in are staff and state prisoners on work duty. In two years, 28 complaints were filed with the GDA. Most were closed as unfounded. The one violation that was issued disappeared the same day.

"If we don't fight for them, who will?" said Kimberly Kirby, a Clayton County animal advocate. "Because they don't have a voice."

We are calling on the Georgia Department of Agriculture to publicly explain why the March 11 euthanasia violation was removed and to reopen the investigation into Clayton County Animal Control's euthanasia practices. We are calling on Clayton County to immediately end the use of the heart stick as a primary euthanasia method and comply with Georgia law requiring intravenous injection first. We are calling on the county to open its publicly funded shelters to volunteers and independent oversight, release all withheld drug logs, and stop applying personal privacy exemptions to public shelter euthanasia records. And we are calling on the Georgia Legislature to establish independent oversight of publicly funded animal shelters statewide.

These animals are in public care. The public deserves to know what is happening to them.