A protest about the county’s animal control officer is scheduled for 8 a.m. July 23, outside the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

WARSAW — More rumblings related to the recent incident involving Kosciusko Animal Control Officer Jerry Clase are taking place.

A protest is being planned for 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, on the courthouse lawn, prior to the Kosciusko Commissioners meeting when they are expected to review circumstances involving an incident in which he shot and killed a dog without the owner’s consent. 

The protest is being organized by Pierceton resident Phaedra Lynn Murray Chaney. 

The protest stems from an incident that occurred last month when Etna Green resident Sherry Koser said her landlord allowed Clase to take Daisy, her 14-year-old boxer, while she was at work Wednesday, June 19, after a complaint alleging animal neglect.

Koser said when she came home from work, Daisy was gone. Koser asked her landlord about it and said the landlord told her that animal control had taken Daisy. 

Koser then went to the shelter to look for Daisy but was unable to find her at the facility. Koser said someone from AWL called Kosciusko Dispatch, and they contacted Clase, who reportedly admitted he had taken Daisy, shot her and disposed of her body.

“He told me it was the humane thing to do and that she was better off,” said Koser.

According to Chaney, she has had three interactions with Clase, with the last one occurring approximately ten years ago when she called animal control to pick up two black labs that showed up on her property. Chaney did not approve of Clase’s handling of the dogs while loading them into the truck.

“It was like he hated them and hated what he was doing,” said Chaney.

“Mr. Clase has long been known to pick up strays that never make it to the shelter,” Chaney said. “People are in an uproar over this.”

“I just got mad about it and I thought somebody needs to put their money where their mouth is,” Chaney said.

Chaney stressed the protest is to be peaceful.

Meanwhile, there is an online petition voicing displeasure with Clase. The petition had nearly 900 names as of late Monday afternoon.

Chaney said although she does not know Koser, she wants to try to prevent a situation like that from happening again.

“My heart breaks for her,” said Chaney. “That’s just wrong any way you want to look at it.”