The Bad Vet Daily: There is Yet Another Black Mar on the Face of Veterinary Medicine

Thursday, August 11, 2011

There is Yet Another Black Mar on the Face of Veterinary Medicine

Yes, that's right. There is another black mar on the face of Veterinary Medicine, and its name is Dr. Dawn Blackmar.

Blackmar, who reportedly is paid $125,000 a year to run Harris County Animal Control in Texas, presides over what can only be called a house of horrors at the Harris County Animal Control "shelter."

See the recent TV investigative report for yourself from Houston's Fox News station:

Former Animal Control Employees React to FOX 26 Investigation: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

" . . the more we continue to investigate . . . the more gut-wrenching stories we hear," says journalist Randy Wallace.

Animals made to watch each other killed, including mother dogs made to watch their puppies killed, and puppies forced to watch their mother's killed. This practice is against the law. "Look at these pictures . . . " Wallace says, showing the proof.

Former employees say this has been going on for years.

"The more questions we asked Blackmar, the more she tried to pretend we weren't there" said the reporter, who asked the six-figure salary veterinarian and sadist in chief if the taxpayer's weren't owed an explanation for the horrors they have learned about. The video shows Blackmar coldly walking away.

Like she has from the suffering of all the animals she has overseen the killing of. According to former employee, this has been going on for years.

Except I suspect its more than merely walking away. I think that someone who goes on running a place like this, a torture chamber of mental torture for the human employees and sheer Auchwitz-like terror death camps for animals must enjoy it.

I think she must be a sadist.

"Dr. Blackmar has been there for too long," said a former employee. "They don't see anything wrong with it. It's been going on for years . . ."

We here at Bad Vet Daily agree. She needs to go.

Talking about how awful it was to hear the allegations about the momma dog being killed in front of her puppies, the female newscaster says: "It's just too much," said a female newscaster.

"It makes you want to cry," said the male newscaster.

The station is running a poll and the public can participate, on whether or not they think Blackmar should resign. I know how I vote! Sign the petition to urge the prosecution of Dawn Blackmar! Sign the Petition!

How much more evidence does the public need that sadists who enjoy animal torture are drawn to the field of veterinary medicine?

More coverage of Blackmar's reign of terror, sadism, and death:

Shelter Won't Consider Offer that Could Save Money and Lives

A Tragic Example of the Urgent Need for Texas CAPA

Investigation into Animal Shelter has Officials Considering Changes

More Questions Surrounding Harris County Animal Control

County Attorney Says Laws Violated at Harris County Animal Control

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I suggest a vet for you to feature on this blog? Yes. However, for my own legal protection I can only write about veterinarians for whom there is "public record." That means that either there must be one or more: Veterinary Board action, court case/records, public police record, or news story about the vet. Everything on this blog is either a recitation of public record or my personal opinion based on public records. I cannot print your opinion or your version of events. If there is no public record related to a veterinarian, I cannot blog about them. However, that doesn't prevent you from doing so, and I encourage you to tell your story.

Why don't you print comments on this blog? You would not believe the hateful, hurtful remarks that veterinarians and their "fans" post about grieving pet owners and dead pets, even when public record shows them to be at fault in actions surrounding the injury or death of a pet. I will not provide a forum for attacks on victims. This characterizes the majority of comments I got when I did allow them. I feel that it is best that I not allow comments either from victims or veterinarians. I want to make it clear: This blog presents public record and MY opinions based on public record. Period.

Will you revise or remove blogs about a vet if we send you more information or tell you how wonderful the vet is and why the "public record" does not reflect the true character of the vet? Probably not. I won't say "never" -- I did revise a blog ONCE in light of a very impassioned email I received from a rescue group about a vet. I did not, however, remove the blog. Out of deference to a rescue's heartfelt email, I chose to "tone down" the blog post voluntarily and remove references to items which were in the public record, but which were of a highly personal nature. But for the most part, no, I don't/won't do this. The public record, and my opinion based on it, stands.

If you have public record that is more recent, that sheds further light on events described in a blog post (for example, if a vet subsequently appealed a board decision and had it reversed or modified, but this is not mentioned in the post) then I would be happy to receive that information and will likely add an update to the bottom of the post to reflect it.

The Bad Vet Daily Goes Weekly . . . Monthly, etc.

Yes, regular readers: I'm sure you've noticed. I haven't been able to do this blog daily. Why? Is it because there aren't enough bad vets to fill 365 days a year?

Unfortunately, NO, that's not the reason, and YES, there are more than enough bad vets to fill 365 days a year.

It is because each of these posts has taken me no less than 1 1/2 hours, and sometimes, up to 4 hours. This includes identifying a case, researching readily available information on the vet's violations, and then doing a search to see if I can figure out where the vet is now.

Therefore, with pets to tend to and a job to keep, I bow to the suggestion of friends that I admit to myself this is just going to need to be a more occasional.

But in return . . . I promise to feature at LEAST 365 vets over the life of this blog.

Thank you for caring about your pets.

About State Veterinary Boards

Although most of the stories told here will be taken from State Veterinary Board disciplinary files -- don't let this lull you into thinking that Veterinary Boards are doing a good job of pursuing cases of veterinary negligence and malpractice or of protecting your pets. In fact, in many states, 90% of consumer complaints filed against vets are dismissed without action. Equally shocking -- when the vet board actually do something, it's very little. Small fines. "Stayed" suspensions where the vet loses not ONE day of work. No matter how egregious the vets behavior, no matter how long the record and how many dead pets, these vets almost never have their licenses taken away.

With a couple of exceptions, you could be going to any of the bad vets featured on this blog right now. Moreover, your vet may have a long history of consumer complaints, and yet the board may never have disciplined him.

Bad vets continue to be a problem because veterinary medicine is virtually unregulated, with negligent practitioners being allowed to continue to pry their trades as more victims are lured in the door.

Why 365 Days of Bad Vets?

The biggest threat to our pets is our own naiivete.

In spite of numerous reports of malpractice and worse, veterinarians continue to enjoy one of the highest ratings for "honesty" among all professions. They are universally -- and blindly trusted. Those of us who have learned the hard way that blind trust is dangerous for our pets are struggling to break through to the consciousness of our fellow loving pet owners, to inspire some healthy skepticism, before they and their pets too fall victim.

If reading this blog gets one pet owner to admit the thought into their minds that maybe -- just maybe -- they shouldn't blindly trust their vet, it will have been worth it. We need to become proactive in evaluating vets and their care, not waiting for a tragedy. We need to ask questions like: "Who will be there overnight? What are his credentials? Let me speak with him," or, "What are my pet's kidney values, and what are the potential side effects of that drug?"

We shouldn't need to do these things but we do because
. . .well, because there are so many bad vets.

Disclaimer

The use of the word "bad" on this site does not necessarily mean that the veterinarians featured here are incompetent or negligent, etc. It may mean they have bad hair, it may simply mean I don't like them.

All of the blog posts here will draw on public record, especially veterinary board documents, for content. In addition, I will comment on that content. All of my comments should be understood by the reader to be my opinions and my opinions only. Readers are not only invited, but encouraged, to use their discernment in making decisions about vets.

The Bad Vet Daily