WAYNESBORO (WINA) – A special Friday morning meeting of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors after Wayne District’s Scott Seaton discovered the Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center has been illegally charging fees to release animals… and the animal control officer has illegally charged fines. And Seaton tells Charlottesville Right Now’s Courteney Stuart it’s been going on for 20 years.

He says an animal control officer under county ordinance can issue summonses, but not be judge and jury and assess fines. And while state law allows charging costs of food and vet care for an animal an owner wants to retrieve, there’s no fee and the shelter in Lyndhurst until Tuesday was charging a large one. What’s more, Seaton said the county administrator and attorney admitted they heard of these fees charged in March, but allowed them to continue.

Seaton said he began inquiring after a dog owner said he dog escaped March 1, was picked up an put in the shelter March 2. When the owner could not afford to bail the dog out, the animal was euthanized March 3.

The meeting was scheduled to be closed, but Seaton wants it open.