Canton Animal Control Officer Paul Bastable has resigned. He submitted his letter of resignation, effective August 19, to the Canton Board of Selectmen this week. On Tuesday night, the board officially accepted his letter of resignation.

Bastable was arrested August 8 in Stoughton on drug charges. Stoughton Police arrested Bastable, who was in a town Animal Control van, allegedly buying cocaine from an alleged drug dealer, according to police reports.

The Board of Selectmen had placed Bastable on a 30-day, paid, administrative leave while the town did its own internal investigation. However, now that Bastable resigned, the town investigation will not continue, according to Board of Selectmen Chairman John Connolly.

"The board will decide which direction and where to go," he said of hiring a new, full-time Animal Control Officer for Canton.

The animal shelter is currently empty, as many of the animals were sent to neighboring shelters, Connolly said.

Currently, a part-time and volunteer staff are managing the shelter and a part-timer handles the Animal Control calls that Canton Police receive, he noted.