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Two Thomasville police officers have been "counseled" by their superiors after they improperly euthanized a wounded dog, which had been shot by one of the officers after it charged him.

The incident happened nearly six weeks ago at the Davidson County Animal Shelter in Lexington. The two officers, who are not certified euthanasia technicians, were not allowed to under state law to put the animal to death.

Officer Lee Patton shot the dog, a pit bull, in its jaw and right shoulder on Nov. 26, after the animal charged him, said Shelley Swaim of Advance, a state animal welfare technician who investigated the incident.

Patton and Cpl. Jeff McCrary had responded to a call about an aggressive dog running loose in northeastern Thomasville. After the officer shot the dog, the dog ran away, wounded, but was later found on a nearbystreet near National Highway.

The officers took the dog to the shelter in Lexington, where they euthanized the animal in its gas chamber, Swaim said.

That afternoon, a shelter employee saw Patton and McCrary, who told her about the shooting. They told the employee they had already euthanized the dog, Swaim said.

One of the officers indicated that they took the dog to the shelter to protect several residents who had gathered at scene of the shooting.

Thomasville Police Chief Jeff Insley said that patrol officers must handle animal control duties on weekends, but declined further comment.

Swaim determined that the shelter employees and the Davidson County Sheriff's Office were not at fault in the incident. The sheriff's office operates the shelter.

Swaim and Dr. Lee Hunter, a veterinarian and the director of the N.C. Veterinary Division's animal welfare section, said that the officers are not certified euthanasia technicians and shouldn't have used the shelter's gas chamber to put down the wounded dog.

"This shouldn't have happened," Swaim said.

The N.C. Animal Welfare administrative code requires all animal control and shelter workers who euthanize animals with carbon monoxide be state certified.

However, the officers didn't technically violate the code because they are not shelter employees and are not covered by it, Hunter said.

Jane Tzilvelis of Durham, an animal-rights advocate, questioned why the officers apparently had keys to the shelter, and why they euthanized the dog while not being certified to do so.

"This is a disgrace," Tzilvelis said. "There appears to be a large black hole in which they are operating when it comes to animal welfare of unwanted and abandoned pets."

Tzilvelis sent an email to Insley of the Thomasville Police Department, asking for more information about the incident.

Hunter also asked Insley in a Dec. 20 letter whether his officers have been instructed to seek a certified euthanasia technician employed by the shelter to take charge of any injured animal they take there.

In his Dec. 27 reply to Hunter, Insley wrote that the two officers who euthanized the dog were counseled about using the shelter's equipment, including its gas chamber.

Insley also wrote that every patrol officer receives training on euthanasia, transporting and handling injured animals, and that as of now, officers are prohibited from using the gas chamber.

The department's sole animal control officer works in the city on weekdays, but police officers handle animal calls on weekends, Insley said.

Insley said he needed to talk to City Attorney Paul Mitchell before answering further questions. Insley later declined further comment, and Mitchell could not be reached Friday.

In recent months, the euthanizing of animals has been a recurring issue in Davidson County. Last August, state officials investigated complaints filed by a Lexington animal advocate over how the shelter was using its gas chamber.

The complaints were based on shelter records that indicated improper holding times for some animals and the use of the gas chamber on older, sick animals and for kittens and puppies younger than 16 weeks, which is against state code.

A group of animal advocates and Davidson residents also tried to get the shelter's gas chamber shut down. The majority of N.C. county animal shelters euthanize animals by lethal injection.

But the Davidson County Board of Commissioners didn't vote on a motion on Aug. 10 to end the use of the gas chamber, allowing the euthanasia of animals there to continue using gas.

On Oct. 12, Hunter issued a warning letter to the shelter, saying that its employees may have violated the state code because its animal-disposition records were inaccurate and incomplete.

The shelter passed a state inspection on Dec. 1, a state record shows.