Dogs killed inhumanely at Ohio shelter, officials say

Three animal shelter employees in southeast Ohio have pleaded not guilty to charges of inhumanely killing dogs.

The Gallia County dog warden, his assistant and a former warden are accused of killing dogs by injecting a drug directly into their hearts without using a sedative, which veterinarians say causes extreme pain before death.

The misdemeanor animal cruelty charges were filed after necropsies done at Ohio State University's veterinary hospital showed that several of the dogs recovered from the county animal shelter were inhumanely euthanized.

Dog warden Paul Simmer, his assistant, Jason Harris, and former warden Jean Daniels pleaded not guilty to the charges in Gallipolis Municipal Court on Tuesday. They are due back in court next week.