This brought tears to my eyes and now I have to go cuddle my kitty. What the hell is wrong with people? I know there's a lot of debate on ferals and how to control them, but even those who support culling don't support this shit.
Is she a sociopath and/or narcissist? I don't mean this to be snarky. This is not normal behavior and her claims are not the claims of a well-adjusted human being.
For sure she needs help and self reflection. She is a product of a very specific culture that condones in fact lauds this type of thing. From her blog she seems to have been raised in this culture and because she is female used her "machismo" to gain acceptance with men in this culture. I think we are quick to slap labels on people like narcissist and psychopath. Both those things could be true or not but ultimately I doubt this woman thought she was doing anything wrong because individual cats lives are not valued in her belief system.
Unfortunately there are those in the equine and hunting worlds that will be sympathetic to her.
Her comments about how awesome she is and alcohol seem very much in line with tactics I have seen from other women in that culture. Bravado is a given in her circle.
I'm not sure that killing a domestic cat as a veterinarian is "bravado."
She had over 30 likes and several "high fives" before the image was pulled.
Looks like I am wrong about the Texas VMA, this is what they are saying:
AUSTIN—The Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) strongly condemns the actions of a veterinarian who claims to have recently shot and killed a feral cat with the use of a bow and arrow. The veterinarian, who worked in Brenham, Texas, and is not a TVMA member, posted a picture of herself holding the deceased cat on her personal Facebook page along with some insensitive remarks about the incident.
This individual’s actions directly violate the veterinarian’s oath taken to use his or her “scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge.” We are saddened and disturbed by the unfortunate actions of this individual, and we remind Texas residents that this conduct is not reflective of the veterinary profession or of the veterinarians who strive to embody the words of the veterinarian’s oath every day.
Upon learning of the troubling misconduct, the Brenham clinic where the veterinarian was practicing immediately condemned her actions and terminated her employment. The clinic’s ownership and staff have expressed their deepest shock and disgust at such behavior and are regretful that the individual acted in a manner that so drastically deviated from the conduct and values the clinic has upheld in its community for years.
We hope you will stand strong with us against this type of behavior against animals. TVMA values the trust built between veterinarians and the public based on mutually shared care for animals. We hope that we can unite to prevent actions like this from occurring in the future.
About the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Founded in 1903, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association is a professional association composed of more than 3,700 veterinarians committed to protecting public health, promoting high educational, ethical and moral standards within the veterinary profession and educating the public about animal health and its relationship to human health. For more information, call 512/452-4224 or visit www.tvma.org.
But, licenses are state to state. I would bet they will offer a remediation package and require her to jump through some hoops but not pull her license nor blemish her record in a way that would make getting a license in a new state difficult.
God, this makes me sick to my stomach. What a horrible, vile person who would do this. That poor, poor cat and its poor owners. I can't even imagine having someone do this to my pet. A fucking VET no less.
If that was my cat, I seriously might have killed her. The rage I am having over this...
I just have a hard time believing that her colleagues didn't know anything about her "mindset" at all. I mean, I highly doubt she was a caring friend to animals at work, and then this just came up of nowhere. Judging by her post diction, she seems to indicate that ferals should be killed. Do we really believe that she never indicated this at work?
Their whole "we are shocked" statement is ridic, IMO.
Post by foundmylazybum on Apr 18, 2015 8:14:26 GMT -5
30 likes on FB and some internet high fives!! Well. She definitely must have a lot of supporters then. They probably all came from the same geniuses who support good guys with guns at schools.
It took me a really long time to realize we weren't talking about a vegetarian.
#needcoffee
Me to.
But I'm glad I read this here first. I had a vet tech friend post about it on FB and someone responded to her post with the actual picture--I'm glad I knew not to make it a viewable size.
As awful as it is that it was ANY cat, it actually was the cat of a neighboring elderly couple.
OMG I can't even begin to imagine how angry I would be if some asshole neighbor shot my cat. Can we sic the AARP on her too?
If someone shot my cat, and then bragged about it so that I knew without a doubt that she did it, you all would need to come bail me out of jail. I'm not kidding.
I totally agree with you. I think she should fry. I think this is aweful BUT, state veterinary boards are often "good old boys" in the best of circumstances. If her PLIT insurance is paid she will have legal representation to defend her in the fullest. If the cat did not have tags or a microchip they will claim feral. Many on the large animal side are avid hunters and will claim a stray cat is a detriment to the bird population or what the hell ever. She is an embarrassment to the profession.
You're right - not all animal people are created equally. Some have higher preference for some types of animals... and the feral cat situation is really a highly debated issue with many bird people/govts strongly on the side of culling the cat population. (But because SCIENCE, killing them actually will lead to conditions that allow the remaining animals to have larger litters, hence contradicting their desired purpose.) Regardless of personal beliefs on the benefits of culling, this is a very inhumane way to do it.
Anyway - I am glad the vet office fired her swiftly.
I just don't understand why so many people hate cats. I mean, they really do hate them. Feral cat populations can be controlled by removing the reproductive capability of a large enough percentage of the population. Feral cats leave humans alone. They aren't dangerous. And while street dogs can look so pitiful that you could argue putting them to sleep is the least cruel option if homing them isn't possible, feral cats usually look pretty happy.
Years ago, there was a feral cat colony near the river, right by one of the bike trails. A bunch of people got together, trapped them all, had them spayed, neutered, vaccinated, etc. and then started feeding them. The feral cats became much more friendly and some of the regular bike riders even had a cat or two that would let them come right up to them. Some asshole went in the middle of the night and murdered all of them. He/She was never caught. How you can decide to kill a bunch of animals who aren't doing anything to anyone is completely beyond me.
This whole thing makes me so sad. I give money to an organization who TSN feral colonies, and then relocates them to farms where they want mousers. The farmers provide food and a place in the barn for them to sleep, and in return, their mouse problem goes away.
Feral cats can actually be useful! They aren't just nuisances to be killed!
This whole thing makes me so sad. I give money to an organization who TSN feral colonies, and then relocates them to farms where they want mousers. The farmers provide food and a place in the barn for them to sleep, and in return, their mouse problem goes away.
Feral cats can actually be useful! They aren't just nuisances to be killed!
This whole thing makes me so sad. I give money to an organization who TSN feral colonies, and then relocates them to farms where they want mousers. The farmers provide food and a place in the barn for them to sleep, and in return, their mouse problem goes away.
Feral cats can actually be useful! They aren't just nuisances to be killed!
Can you PM me their info?
Sure. I'm on my phone right now, but I can when I get to a computer.