Animal Shelter Accused Of Euthanizing Cats By Freezing Them

SPENCER COUNTY, IN — The Spencer County Animal Shelter is under investigation after a former employee claimed she was instructed by her boss to freeze cats that were still alive in order to euthanize them. Bridget Woodson said her boss at the southern Indiana shelter instructed her twice to freeze the cats, but she instead took the animals to a veterinarian to be humanely euthanized, WEVV reported.

WXIN reported investigators said they aren't sure how many cats have been euthanized by freezing, but know of at least two occasions.

According to WEVV, Woodson said she was given another option the first time she was asked to freeze an animal, a kitten that was in grave condition after being run over by a car.

"[The director] mentioned putting it in a freezer then. I mean, she could tell I was uneasy about it, and she said, ‘But don’t worry. You can take it to the vet,'" Woodson said.

According to WEVV, Woodson said she has has text messages from her boss, Spencer County Animal Control Officer Christina Payne, in which Payne defended the decision to put cats in the freezer, saying it was no less humane than taking them to the vet.

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