The troubled Hillsborough Co pound in FL has placed a veterinarian on administrative leave after she allegedly left a pregnant dog to suffer and her puppies to die.
The pregnant mixed breed dog was impounded on Saturday and the ACO informed the vet tech upon intake that the dog appeared to be in labor and in need of urgent vet care. The tech examined the dog, confirmed that the dog was in distress during labor and alerted the vet on duty. That vet, unnamed as of yet, did nothing – maybe painted her nails, I don’t know – but not one thing for the dog. She never even looked at the poor pet. When her shift ended, she went home for the night, leaving the pregnant dog in agony.
When staff arrived the next morning, they found the dog had managed to deliver one dead puppy but had lost so much blood overnight that the on-duty vet determined euthanasia was appropriate to end the dog’s suffering. Unless this dog had been carrying a single puppy (unlikely for a dog described as a Pitbull mix), her remaining pups smothered to death inside her.
Taking a page from the well worn Killing Apologist Playbook, the county says that other than this bit of a wrinkle, everything is shiny:
“It’s really uplifting to see where the progress is, and that is what makes this situation even more disappointing,” said [Hillsborough County Pet Resources Director Ron] Spiller. “And it’s a distraction from the positive direction the shelter is now headed.”
A distraction? It’s criminal neglect to my mind which should be prosecuted with the same fervor as Hillsborough Co would if a private breeder allowed this needless suffering and death to occur. The county is currently investigating the distraction. Vols say the vet in question has a history of similar behavior.
Here is an opportunity for Hillsborough Co to put their money where their positive direction mouth is: Fire this vet immediately and ask the county prosecutor to bring charges. Demonstrate to the community that animal neglect will not be tolerated, including and especially when it’s perpetrated by those charged with protecting animals from neglect. Lead by example. Anything less will indicate to me that Hillsborough Co is still piloting the same fail boat over the same waterfall. Except now they have a mouthpiece to point out how refreshing the mist is.
(Thanks Clarice for the links.)