CROWLEY, La. (KPEL) -- Police have arrested a former employee of the Crowley Animal Shelter on charges he improperly and cruelly disposed of up to 20 animals.

Police Chief K.P. Gibson says his office received a complaint from both the animal shelter and the Crowley mayor.

Gibson says they found a total of eight animals, five of them determined to have died as the result of an earlier investigation into a dogfighting ring. The other three were apparently taken to the shelter but were never released, "thus the belief that they were still alive prior to the supervisor's discovery," Gibson said.

50-year-old Michael Edwards of Crowley was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail on five counts of obstruction of justice, three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, and one count of malfeasance in office.

Gibson says Edwards was employed at the animal shelter "until earlier this week."

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL