http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=3490604
Giovanna Bechard Reporting
PETA Speaks Out About Animal Cruelty Charges
June 20, 2005, 06:11 AM EST Email to a FriendPrinter Friendly Version

People who say they protect animals are accused of killing them and dumping
their bodies.

Police say Andrew Cook of Virginia Beach and Adria Hinkle of Norfolk, tossed
dead dogs and cats into dumpsters in Ahoskie, North Carolina.

Here's the twist, the pair works for the People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals.

They're facing dozens of animal cruelty charges.

"There's no other way to look at it it's just cruel and it's wrong," said
one dog owner.

"I just thought it was disgusting throwing bodies in the trash can," said
another.

Animal owners can't stop talking about the case of two PETA workers who are
accused throwing dead dogs and cats in a dumpster in North Carolina.

"We are going to get to the bottom of everything," said PETA President
Ingrid Newkirk.
Newkirk says she's disgusted Adria Hinkle and Andrew Cook left the carcasses
in the dumpster... but says Hinkle did nothing wrong when she allegedly
euthanized the animals, many she says were sick and mistreated.

"She may have done a very stupid and shameful thing with the bodies but she
is a very kind person and she is certified in humane euthanasia," said
Newkirk.

According to North Carolina law, anyone who works in a shelter or
veterinarian office will be granted a certificate to euthanize an animal
after the state vet witnesses five successful humane procedures.

"All I wanted to do was help the animals," said Hinkle when she left court.

As for Adria Hinkle, her version of helping landed her in court, under
investigation and suspended from her PETA job for 90 days.

Hinkle may have been within her rights to euthanize the animals, so
disposing of them in a dumpster and trespassing may be the only charges that
stick.

Then there's the question of should the animals have been killed at all?

Police say the shelters told them they were under the impression the
animals, some kittens and pregnant cats, were going to be placed in homes
and not killed.

But PETA says that is not its agreement with those shelters and nearly every
animal from there is euthanized.