East Tennessee animal shelter director retires after months of tension over euthanizations

Anila Yoganathan, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read
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Kittens sit in their cages at the Anderson County Animal Shelter in early June. The shelter has come under scrutiny after concerns were raised about how many animals are euthanized and the method used to put them down.
Kittens sit in their cages at the Anderson County Animal Shelter in early June. The shelter has come under scrutiny after concerns were raised about how many animals are euthanized and the method used to put them down.

After months of tensions and accusations over how Anderson County's animal shelter was run, animal care and control director Brian Porter has submitted his retirement to the county mayor. Porter's last day will be Wednesday.

"Brian has been with Anderson County since 2006, and while there is a review by Human Resources regarding complaints, I do want to take the opportunity to thank Brian for all he has done to advance animal welfare in Anderson County over the last 16 years," County Mayor Terry Frank said in a statement to Knox News.

"He has been a pioneer who has worked with animals his entire adult life, and has always been a person who has given more than he's ever asked for. I am currently working to find an experienced, capable and compassionate individual to take on the duties of director."

Concerns over the shelter's management began to gain steam in the past six months, peaking this spring after a social media post said that Porter had been euthanizing animals under an expired license since early 2021.

Kittens look from their cage at the Anderson County Animal Shelter in Clinton, Tenn. on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. The shelter has come under scrutiny after concerns were raised on how many animals are euthanized and the method used to put them down.
Kittens look from their cage at the Anderson County Animal Shelter in Clinton, Tenn. on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. The shelter has come under scrutiny after concerns were raised on how many animals are euthanized and the method used to put them down.

Since the first post, community members raised more accusations and concerns on social media and at county commission meetings.

In the last several months, the commission has voted to install cameras at the current shelter, hire a veterinary director to ensure ethical practices and formed an advisory committee for the shelter that includes three commissioners and six community members.

A human resources investigation was also opened and Frank is awaiting its findings.

Meanwhile, the mayor's office is conducting research on how similar counties organize their shelters and how other states are handling animal overpopulation, a nationwide issue.

Her office is also looking at the effectiveness of mandatory spay/neuter laws.

In a statement, Porter thanked Knox News "for reaching out to me for clarification on my decision to retire, as you know there has been a barrage of misleading accusations about myself and staff at the shelter by a small group of individuals some who have even been barred from other shelters, who used social media to slander my reputation in the animal field and the employees of the shelter."

Porter said the accusations "played a significant role in my decision to retire after 15 years of service to the county and 24 years total as an animal control officer."

He said he "will stand by the numbers the shelter generated since its opening in 2016, each year euthanasia decreasing while adoptions and rescues increased. This is the path all shelters strive for, and the shelter was clearly achieving these goals."

Anila Yoganathan is a Knox News investigative reporter.
Twitter | Anila.Yoganathan@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Anderson County animal shelter director retires over euthanizations