GALLATIN, Tenn. -- A local man said he is thankful his dog got out of the Sumner County Animal Shelter.

VIDEO: Man Thankful Pet Rescued From Animal Shelter

The shelter is under fire from lawmakers and animal advocates after a Channel 4 report on the treatment of animals at the facility.

In a video recorded at the shelter, veterinarian Dr. Bill Baber is seen using a controversial euthanasia method on several animals.

Gary Neal said he can barely watch the video.

“It's just seeing this video runs chills down my spine,” he said.

The video is disturbing to Neal because his 5-year-old poodle-mix, Pumpkinhead, spent 18 days in the shelter the same month the undercover video was taken back in September.

“It's terrifying to know he would have been held up like that. He was probably in one of the cages in the background on that particular day,” Neal said.

Neal said he called the shelter several times and was told Pumpkinhead was not there. A Mount Juliet woman adopted him, but five weeks later, she got Neal's phone number from one of the three tags that were still around Pumpkinhead’s neck and returned the animal.

Shelter workers said they tried to call Neal, and they blame the officer who registered Pumpkinhead in the shelter's paperwork as a terrier and not as a poodle mix.

“People in that position need to be trained to know dogs,” Neal said.

Pumpkinhead is back home with the Neal family now, but Neal said he can't help but think he came very close to losing his beloved pet forever.

“I know there is an over population of stray dogs but whether they are stray or not, they don't deserve that,” he said.