Surveillance footage at the Monroe County Animal Shelter shows an animal control officer putting four live puppies into an incinerator and burning them to death, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

What happened: The killing took place June 18 at the shelter. A complaint reached the Sheriff’s Office on July 6, and investigators arrested Carlos Santillan, who was serving as the shelter’s interim director. He faces four counts of felony cruelty to animals, one for each puppy.

What the sheriff said: Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman said the footage showed Santillan acted deliberately. Freeman said Santillan “appeared to act without hesitation” and apparently “felt comfortable doing it.”

What’s new: The Monroe County Board of Commissioners fired Santillan immediately after his arrest. He is being held at the Monroe County Jail on a $5,000 bond set by a Magistrate Court judge.

Outside pressure: PETA sent a letter Monday to District Attorney Dorothy Hull, who handles prosecutions in Monroe County through the Towaliga Judicial Circuit. The letter asks Hull to prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law. PETA is also asking that if Santillan is convicted, the court order him to undergo psychological counseling and permanently ban him from working with or owning animals.

The law: Georgia law makes it a felony to cause pain, suffering, or death to an animal without justification. Each of the four counts Santillan faces carries the possibility of prison time.

The path forward: The case remains under investigation. Santillan has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent under Georgia law unless proven guilty in court.

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B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.

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