WAGGA City Council has gone to ground amid revelations the employee allegedly responsible for prematurely putting down a dog at the pound remains on full pay while stood down and under investigation.
Council is currently investigating a female employee at the Glenfield Park Animal Shelter after a boxer-staffy cross named Cindy, belonging to Mt Austin woman Skye Paproth, was put down before the legislated 14-day period between notification and euthanisation had expired.
Ms Paproth had initially been told Cindy had run away, she claimed earlier this month, before a senior council officer contacted her four days later to tell her Cindy had been accidentally euthanised.
The Advertiser can reveal the employee who is currently being investigated, who has been stood down since June 1, remains on full pay while the exact circumstances of the incident are being established.
Questions were put to a council spokesman on Thursday as to the current progress of the investigation and the new revelations, however the spokesman declined to address the issues raised by the Advertiser.
“The matter is currently under investigation and all details are in the media release,” the spokesman said in a statement.
“Council is making no further comment until the investigation is complete.”
The media release in question made no mention of the employee under investigation remaining on full pay while stood down.
Meanwhile, Ms Paproth said on Thursday she remained in the dark about the investigation.
“I haven’t heard anything,” she said.
Ms Paproth told the Advertiser the investigating officer at council had informed her a progress report on the inquiry would be forthcoming this week, but she has yet to hear anything.
The last she heard of the inquiry’s progress was the submission of a second report by the employee at the centre of the storm.
Speaking the day after being informed Cindy had been put down, Ms Paproth had said all she wanted from the investigation was to find out what happened to her beloved dog.
“I just want to find out the truth, that’s all I really want,” she said at the time.
On Thursday, Ms Paproth said she wanted to sit down with the employee alleged to be responsible for Cindy’s death to talk to her about what happened.
“I don’t really know how I feel about it – I’d love to speak to her personally,” Ms Paproth said.
