Ex-shelter worker denies cruelty

‘Shocked’ at indictment

A former Memphis Animal Shelter employee told a jury Thursday he was “shocked” to learn last year that he had been indicted on charges of aggravated animal cruelty.

Billy Stewart, 29, testified that he often dealt with aggressive dogs, but said he never mistreated them or choked them into unconsciousness with the cable of a catch pole as he is accused of doing at least five times in 2011 and 2012.

“That never did occur,” Stewart told the Criminal Court jury. “I would never do that. I have never done that. That would be a violation of policy. ... I have never choked any animal at the shelter.”

Stewart was one of three shelter workers indicted last year following a three-month undercover investigation at the shelter initiated by complaints of animal cruelty, animal fighting and unaccountedfor animals.

Two other employees — Frank Lightfoot Jr. and Archie Elliott — pleaded guilty to cruelty charges earlier this year and were given short jail sentences. Neither had a prior record.

Lightfoot and the undercover officer, Daniel Arrington, testified earlier this week that they saw Stewart choke a dog into unconsciousness on several occasions in the euthanasia room where Lightfoot’s job was administering fatal injections to the animals.

On Thursday, Stewart said they were lying and that some animals wear themselves out while aggressively trying to get loose from the cable noose at the end of a catch pole.

“Sometimes the animals choke themselves,” he testified. “They’ll be tossing and turning and flipping, and they’ll be out of breath.”

Aggravated animal abuse is a low-level felony that in this case would carry one to two years in prison.

Stewart was disciplined in 2008 for several shelter violations that demonstrated “cruel and inhuman treatment toward the animals,” according to documents presented in trial Thursday. He acknowledged he received a 10-day suspension, but insisted he had done nothing wrong.

He said he received online threats on animalrights websites after a surveillance video from the old shelter showed him handling two dogs that began fighting when he took them out of their cages on a leash.

Stewart said he mistakenly thought he could handle the two dogs safely because they came from the same household and that there was no intention to have the dogs fight, though some viewers believed otherwise.

The case before Judge Paula Skahan could go to the jury Friday.