Those of you who follow animal issues have heard about Tennessee Vet, William Baber. the Sumner County Tennessee shelter veterinarian who was caught performing shockingly cruel euthanasias on shelter animals.
When this story broke last fall, we learned that "video obtained through a privately funded investigation by some concerned citizens who wanted to figure out just what was going on inside shows dogs being held up by their fur while Dr. Baber sticks lethal injections into their hearts, one after the other. " (http://www.wkrn.com/node/127021)
Although his method of euthanasia -- stabbing lethal injections directly into the heart of fully conscious animals -- was the focus of most of this coverage, the WKRM story also told of other acts of alleged cruelty reported by shelter staff:
"Animal shelter worker Tabetha Varvaro said, 'The first day I worked there, he euthanized a dog outside and just did a heart punch with him.' Varvaro worked with Dr. Baber for eight months and said from the beginning, witnessed countless acts of aggression and cruelty against animals. Varvaro . . . said, “I thought a lot of times he was being kind of aggressive. He didn’t weigh the animals before he gave them sedatives, so sometimes, one time a dog woke up in surgery with only one ear cut off and was screaming.”
One article, quoting a witness of his murderous methods, said:
“He hits them with the needle. They flip. They flop,” . . . 'They’re just basically going nuts. They’re yelping.' Not only is this method cruel, it is also violates state and national guidelines. So what’s the advantage? It takes less time and at the $9 per animal killed that Baber makes, that made him about $25K last year alone for killing almost 3,000 dogs and cats."
(See http://petloverstips.com/ForTheLoveoftheDog/news-updates/cruel-tennessee-vet-dr-william-baber-suspended-and-fined)
This article goes on to point out that Baber - who also has a private practice -- claimed he did not know what proper euthanasia procedures were. Makes you wonder about the pets he euthed in private practice as well, doesn't it?
In spite of his infamy -- and the fact that he has been fired from the shelter, and faces 12 misdemeanor counts including animal cruelty, he has ONLY been suspended by the veterinary board -- his license has NOT been permanently revoked. Bafflingly, the characteristically lax veterinary board is requiring BABER to take "grief counseling." HE NEEDS grief counseling? Oh poor Baber, how all those crimes must haunt him! Why are they giving him such a sympathetic prescription?
According to more recent coverage, the board will make a decision on Baber's license in April.
You can contact the Tennessee Veterinary Board at:
Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
227 French Landing, Ste 300
Nashville, TN 37243
Telephone: 800-778-4123 x 33447
Fax: 615/532-5164
E-mail: Lisa.Lampley@state.tn.us
Let them know what you think should happen to Barbarous Baber's license! This man should have NO future as a vet, and he doesn't need grief counseling -- he needs the inside of a jail!
You can also sign a PETA-sponsord petition demanding the revocation of his license:
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/veterinarian_abusing_animals2
Many of the articles on Baber can be found on Pet-Abuse.com:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/12905/TN/US/
Some snippets of the original disturbing video are included in this coverage:
http://www.wkrn.com/node/127021#top
It seems that the public outcry may really make a difference in this case. I only wish there was an equally effective outcry against the scores of veterinarians committing comparably barbarous acts safely behind the walls of private veterinary practices every day -- because it is happening.
http://health.state.tn.us/licensure/Discipline.ASP?prof=2317&licnum=2123
