JOURDANTON, Texas -- Some city officials in Jourdanton, Texas, are outraged that a public works supervisor ordered employees to drown six stray dogs at the city sewer plant, rather than having the animals properly euthanized.

For punishment, the supervisor was ordered to attend classes with animal control officers.

City councilman Darrell Richter said the workers took the dogs from the pound to the sewer plant and dropped their cages into the water.

A child saw the drownings and told his mother, who complained.

Richter told the San Antonio Express-News that he's disgusted by the incident and upset with the supervisor getting "a little slap on the hand." He said a crime has been committed and should be dealt with in a more serious manner.

A Jourdanton city councilman wants an outside agency to investigate the drownings.

"I believe that an outside agency could do an investigation that would not be biased," Councilman Darrell Richter said.

The investigation would determine if several city employees are responsible for the drownings of the dogs three weeks ago.

A city employee who allegedly ordered the drownings has received a written reprimand.

But Councilman Joe de la Rosa indicated Sunday that harsher measures may need to be taken.

"Whatever action needs to be taken, we're going to do it," he said. "That is definitely my promise to everybody. It's going to happen. That is a cruel, coward way of doing things to poor animals."

A City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.

Richter said he plans to question the city manager about the incident.

Jourdanton typically uses injections to put stray animals to death, but the veterinarian who administers the injections was on vacation when the incident occurred.