Commissioners review abuse allegations

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - The Kosciusko County commissioners are going over more than a dozen complaints claiming the animal control officer abuses animals.

At the commissioners' meeting Tuesday, a group of citizens gave the commissioners those claims against Jerry Clase.

Friday, NewsChannel 15 got a look at some of the accusations.

"I thought he was very inappropriate and unprofessional," Greg Kern said.

Ten years ago, Kern's Chow dogs got out of his yard. Kern thinks they were down the street chasing sheep, and Clase was called in to get the dogs.

"They may have done something wrong, but it could have been handled a different way," Kern said.

Clase shot the two dogs and put them in his truck, Kern said.

"He came to the house and said, 'I have your dogs out in the truck.' When he opened the door, both dogs were laying there with bullet holes in them, their tongues hanging out and blood all over. My kids were all upset," Kern said.

Kern said Clase didn't warn his wife and his daughters, then ages six and three, that the dogs were dead. He said he called the sheriff's department to complain, but "didn't get anywhere."

Kern is one of more than a dozen people who wrote their accounts with Clase down and submitted them to the commissioners.

"Kicking a puppy to death in the lab is shocking. Chocking a dog until it's unconscious [is another complaint]," Launda Ewell said.

Ewell runs Seven's Heaven Wildlife Rescue in Pierceton. She is one of the women leading the effort to expose the accused animal abuse.

"There's been an urban legend for years. A lot of people didn't come forward because they were scared, but now they're starting to come out," Ewell said. "We have people willing to come forward who say they have complained before and they don't know where those complaints have gone."

One account given to the commissioners was from a former police officer who wished to remain anonymous. The letter from that person said:

"Jerry was scheduled to pick up dogs once a week in Syracuse. Many times he would kill the dogs on the way and they were not delivered to the shelter. The police all knew about this and the county officials knew, yet it was always overlooked 'because it was Jerry.'"

Another account came from a former Animal Welfare Director. She said, "Mr. Clase never treated any animals with any respect. Kicking them, pulling them by their necks ... and throwing them in the runs."

NewsChannel 15 went to the Animal Welfare League shelter in Pierceton to see if any of the accusations against Clase were true, but the director didn't want to comment.

Clase is a county employee, so the commissioners are in charge of his employment.

"I talked to Jerry [Friday] and said [the commissioners] would meet before our next meeting. We're reviewing all the allegations and he should continue to do his job as he's doing it," County Commissioner Ronald Truex told NewsChannel 15.

County Commissioner Bob Conley also told NewsChannel 15 they can't suspend someone "based on allegations." But, that has Ewell upset.

"These aren't allegations. They're signed complaints," Ewell said.

Truex said the commissioners are working to find official reports to compare to the complaints.

"The letters are telling us a part of what happened. We found so far two sides to the ones we can find the other sides for," Truex said.

Clase wasn't home when NewsChannel 15 called, but his wife, Jackie, was.

"This has all been settled. They found no wrongdoing on his part," Jackie Clase said. "My husband was told today this matter has been thoroughly investigated and he's been cleared of all the so-called charges."

But, Truex denied that.

"Those decisions have not been made and we're looking into all the information," he said.

The commissioners are having an executive session on July 6 to decide what to do. Discussions in executive sessions aren't open to the public.