According to the WMBB News (ABC), Margaret Fowler, a veterinarian operating out of her home in Panama City Beach, FL, has been arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty. A witness said that she had seen Fowler beating "something" with what appeared to be a rubber mallet, then drag it to the yard next door. The "something" turned out to be the body of a cat owned by the witness's boyfriend, Michael Shipley. Fowler told authorities the cat appeared to have been hit by a car. According to Florida Law, "A person who intentionally commits an act to any animal which results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, or causes the same to be done, is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $10,000, or both." I was unable to locate the punishment stipulated in s. 775.082. You can read the full news article here.
I hate reporting this kind of news, and I urge my readers when posting comments to remember that in the U.S. ALL people charged with crimes are considered innocent until proven guilty. This crime is news because the reported suspect is a veterinarian. Let's remember that the overwhelming majority of veterinarians are kind, caring, humane individuals who chose that career because of their love for all animals. The most positive thing that I took away from this news was the advice of the Bay County Animal Control division manager, Jim Crosby. He was quoted as saying, "Do the same thing with their vet they'd do with their pediatrician. Interview the person, look at their facilities, talk to other people who've used them... do your homework and if anything makes you feel uncomfortable, find one who doesn't."
Comments
Oh gad. If this is true, I’m just going to vomit.
i can tell you that yes, this actually happened i saw it with my own two eyes. she was about 30 feet away from me and i have 2 degrees in crime scene investigation so i KNOW what i saw. fyi, the case was dropped because the prosecutor claimed they could not located me, yet i never received a call, email, letter, or communication of any kind from them. can you say “paid off”. the officer who originally investigated the case was able to locate me with 1 phone call, which she placed a week after the case was dropped, so it was too late and justice will never be served.