Remember the police department that runs the Virginia Beach pound announcing they would investigate themselves for wrongdoing in the case of the elderly Pitbull they left outside to freeze to death in 21 degree weather? Well the results of the necropsy are in:
[T]he dog had severe heart and lung disease as well as possible diabetes, all of which contributed to the dog’s death, as well as hypothermia.
Let me preface this thing by pointing out that I am not a veterinarian and I have no idea who conducted the necropsy and reported these findings on Batman, the poor deceased pet. It could be the most qualified forensic vet on the planet for all I know. I am not in any way claiming I have any knowledge which trumps that of the vet who reported these findings.
That said, bullshit. “Severe heart and lung disease” could quite probably apply to every dog who reaches old age and is living in the sunset of his life. It doesn’t mean he was going to fall over dead that day anyway, which is what I think the police department is hoping people will believe. And “possible diabetes” – I’m sorry, what? Did the dog have diabetes or not? Why not put down “possible Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever”? I mean, they didn’t rule that out, did they? Again, a possible medical condition does not indicate that Batman was about to keel over that day.
Batman survived the common old age canine disorders of heart and lung disease before he was impounded by Virginia Beach AC. Batman died because the people who are paid by the public to protect him from harm failed to do their jobs. They left him outside in 21 degree night temperatures where living things freeze. Any attempts to distract from that terrible truth make the police department look even guiltier.
[T]he case remains under investigation by Virginia Beach police.
Gee, can’t hardly wait.
(Thank you Arlene for the link.)
thank you for the update.. can’t wait to hear the rest of the story
Here is an radical and revolutionary idea for the Virginia Beach Police Department : don’t leave any dogs outside.
I can hardly wait to hear the results of the investigation of the police investigating themselves! I’m sure it will be the dog’s fault for not barking loud enough to alert someone that he was outside!!!
Bullshit is right. If the dog were that unwell to begin with, he should have been more closely supervised than younger, healthier dogs. And if he were properly supervised, he would not have been left out in the cold to die.
The “Well, ya know he was old and sick” is not an excuse to let him die, it’s a mandate to ensure he received extra care.
That bullshit excuse would not hold up for an individual. They would be charging them with animal cruelty, neglect, you know – felony charges.
According to the article , that is Moyer’s interpretation of the necropsy. A necropsy report will state all of the conditions found post mortem. I’d be interested to see the “official” necropsy report.
This is disgraceful but as usual they will not take responsibility,
I wrote to the mayor of Va Beach to inform him that the head of the shelter has a personal relationship with someone in the police dept. and feels that she is immune to these things since the police do, indeed, investigate themselves. It has been over a week now and we have heard nothing from any follow-up except “we’re sad because of our loss.” She kills them everyday when she “makes room” because she will not even look at no kill. I told him she takes peoples volunteer badges that make waves and if she took mine after I wrote to him, I would make sure the media knew. There are plenty of people who will talk to an independent commission about the crap that goes on over there. But talk to the police about the police? No way.
Linda, my name is Paula do I know you?
I’m SO TIRED OF THE BULLSHIT SPREAD BY THOSE WHO ARE PAID TO SHELTER ANIMALS. THIS IS ABUSE AND THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES! WHEN THEY DIE, THEY’LL HAVE TO ANSWER TO GOD AND I HOPE THEY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE. SHELFISH, SADISTIC BASTARDS!!!
I just got a message on FB from a woman who is the neighbor to this dogs owner. I have asked her to come to this site to weigh in..
So it seems that nothing at all was done to anyone at the shelter and no one was held responsible for Batman’s death. The staff member, NIcole Barrera, who left Batman outside continues to work there and continues to put dogs outside. SO how long will it be before she forgets again and a dog dies of heat stroke this summer? Why was nothing done to her and why was nothing done to anyone at the shelter. That’s right, it’s because the police department investigated themselves. What a joke. And now it seems there is kennel cough going rampantly around the shelter and they cant control it. Well, I have an idea on that one, Why not make the staff workers there actually clean and sanitize the kennels the way they should, instead of rushing through it so they can go smoke or chat with their friends. And how about finding a shelter director who actually cares. One who will leave the office once in a while and see what;s really going on.
I was a volunteer when this happened at the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center. The caretaker responsible, was never identified by the shelter and was never disciplined, other than she was transferred to working with cats until “things cooled down” That Caretaker’s name is Nicole Barrerra. And the reason that Batman was left outside to freeze to death? Because Nicole didn’t want to be late for a date with her new boyfriend. She is no longer at VBAC, as she has recently left and is now working as a caretaker at Best Friends Animal Society in Kenab, Utah. My only hope is that she takes better care of the animals there. This is also a woman who would walk by dog kennels with crap all over them and complain, rather than taking the time to clean the kennel, or would downtalk the dogs she didn’t like so potential adopters would pass them up in favor of a dog she liked much better.
Juleen Balance, the Director of the shelter, has a history of covering things up that she doesn’t want known, as well as a history of threatening volunteers who question the decisions that are made, especially when it comes to euthanizing dogs. She has no idea who the dogs are, as she sits in her office pretty much the entire time she is at the shelter. And if you get called by Wayne Gilbert (her henchman) that he and Juleen want to talk to you, you pretty much know that another threat is coming.
Many, many very good volunteers have left since January of this year, volunteers who have been with them for 4 years and more. And I can’t blame any of them for leaving. Between Juleen and Wayne, they make it very clear that they want you gone and will push until you leave.
May I ask a question? Why are you telling this now?
Dot Kirby the simple answer is so nothing would happen to the animals that I or others cared about. Simply put, when you disagree or go against what the shelter management wants then the dog you care about “gets it to a fight”, “bites someone” or “gets sick” and had to be euthanized. It’s the way it is and its happened to many volunteers at the shelter. Since all of the volunteers have left, there is no worry about a dog suffering for one of us speaking up.
I am also not as computer literate as most and happened to stumble across this as I was looking for something else. I do believe that some time you find something for a reason.
When I say that Shelter Management made it very clear clear that it would be handled internally, that is an understatement.
Thank you for the reply. Your answer is heard far too many times.
http://bil803.wix.com/they-killed-batman
The link above will take you to the complete story of Batman;s Death at VBAC.