Winton, N.C. — An animal-rights worker who dumped the bodies of euthanized dogs and cats into a trash bin apologized in court, saying she threw out the carcasses because they stank.

But Adria J. Hinkle denied that she had ever promised animal shelters in northeastern North Carolina that the animals taken by the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would not be euthanized.

Hinkle and Andrew B. Cook, both PETA workers, are being tried on charges of animal cruelty, littering and obtaining property by false pretenses. They were arrested in June 2005, after police saw them dump bags of dead animals and found more carcasses in their van.

Hinkle testified that she and Cook euthanized the animals in the back of her van. She said they were supposed to bring the carcasses to PETA's offices in Norfolk, Va., but the stench in the vehicle overwhelmed her.

"The smell was so bad that it was hard to drive home," Hinkle testified.

Hinkle, 28, of Norfolk, said she and Cook decided to drop the carcasses in a bin behind a grocery store about 50 miles southwest of Norfolk.

At least one veterinarian has said that PETA offered assurances that animals turned over to the group would be taken to a no-kill shelter. A PETA official, however, testified earlier that she had made clear that some of the animals would have to be put down.

Hinkle testified that PETA was trying to ensure more humane treatment of animals at the shelters, but euthanization was still necessary.

"No one wants to do it," she said.

Cook, 26, of Virginia Beach, Va., cried as he described one of the dogs the pair euthanized because it was suffering from mange and sunburn.

Also Thursday, Judge Cy Grant said he would submit to the jury only eight misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, instead of the 21 felony counts listed on the original indictment. The judge said he reduced the charges because the state failed to prove malice, a necessary element of the felony charge.

Kathy Guillermo, a PETA spokeswoman from Modesto, Calif., said the group was relieved by the judge's decision. "These are two people who have dedicated their lives to helping animals," she said.

Closing arguments were scheduled for Friday.