VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Five Clark County workers were recently fired after they went to a restaurant to commiserate over the firing of the Animal Control department head, calling in sick and drinking alcoholic beverages, according to the Columbian newspaper.
The details emerged in documents provided to the newspaper after a public records request.
On May 23, the animal control manager was fired and escorted out of the facility in front of his staff. Three of his then staff members called in sick, and they and others went to an Elmer's restaurant and reportedly drank liquor and beer, the newspaper reported.
Three animal control officers, a code enforcement worker and two office staff members were fired, the newspaper reported.
The employees admitted to the wrongdoing before they were fired, the Columbian reported. They also engaged in acts of contrition while admitting their mistakes, which included lying about what happened.
The Columbian reported that none of the fire workers wished to comment or could not be reached. County officials declined to comment.
In a recent prepared statement, the county said it was "coping with an unexpected, temporary reduction in Animal Protection and Control and Code Enforcement service levels" and working on "meeting the immediate demands of summer weather and Independence Day activities, both of which can be stressful and harmful for animals."