DANVILLE – The Vermilion County Sheriff's Department is looking into some discrepancies at the Vermilion County Animal Regulation Department and Shelter following the firing of director Pete Smith.

Vermilion County Board Chairman Jim McMahon suspended Smith with pay in late October. But on Monday, McMahon fired Smith, who has been director of the animal regulation department since 2007, when he was made interim director to fill in for the previous director, Shane Boyer. He was later made the permanent director.

"That's all I can really say, but shelter operations are totally normal," said McMahon, who added that some of the paperwork at the county animal shelter has been turned over to the sheriff's department.

Vermilion County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn said the county board chairman asked the department to look into some discrepancies in purchases that were made and to investigate whether they were legitimate purchases or not.

McMahon said Mike Lucas, deputy auditor in the county auditor's office, is doing a complete audit of the animal shelter facility and is helping McMahon oversee operations there while the director's position is vacant.

McMahon said county veterinarian H.J. Heffernan is at the shelter two or more hours a day and is also helping to oversee the animal side of operations.

The county does not intend to fill the director's position until all the issues have been resolved, said McMahon, who added that he will be reporting at a later date more information about the county's findings to the public and the county board's health and education committee, which oversees the animal regulation department and shelter.

McMahon said in late October after suspending Smith that the situation has nothing to do with the care of animals.