Veterinarian accused of neglect speaks out

Embattled DVM describes 'witch hunt' ordeal

Published: May 21, 2009
By Jennifer Fiala
Dr. Hector Anderson wants the public — and his colleagues — to know that he does not abuse or neglect animals, despite media reports suggesting otherwise. 

The veterinarian might soon face charges that he failed to aid a sickly dog that was dumped outside of his Buffalo practice earlier this month. But what’s more unsettling, Anderson says, is the scrutiny he faces as the public responds to media reports that paint him as an uncaring veterinarian who’s unwilling to protect animals. 

“I know what I didn’t do and what I did,” Anderson tells the VIN News Service (VNS). “And I’m secure in my position.” 

The chain of events that ended May 9 with the euthanasia of an emaciated Cocker Spaniel began four days earlier, when Anderson says a passerby alerted his receptionist to a dog in a box outside of Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital. 

“There was a big carton with towels in it, and the dog was outside the carton, laying on a concrete area,” he recalls. “It was able to get up and move at will without any assistance. It was terribly matted. There was no bleeding or undue odor. It didn’t need immediate medical attention. Beyond that, it was difficult to say what was going on.” 

That’s because Anderson never let the dog inside his practice to examine it. Instead, he gave it water and called the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter. 

“It needed to be picked up and taken to the proper authorities. If the dog had been injured, I would have taken care of it until the authorities arrived,” Anderson says. 

But the authorities never came. Anderson left his practice at the end of a long day, not noticing the dog and assuming animal control officials had responded. The next morning, Anderson, working at another location, got a call that the dog was still at his practice but had migrated to the front of the building. At 3 p.m., his receptionist made the last of four phone calls to the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter to pick up the dog. 

Anderson adds that during that final call, his receptionist reported hearing staff laughing in the background. “They said, ‘It’s that woman again, calling about that dog,’” he contends. 

City shelter officials did not return VNS interview requests, but local news stations report that the agency did respond but failed to catch the dog. 

In the meantime, a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) branch in Erie County got a hold of the case. Varying accounts exist about who alerted the agency. Anderson says he called, but SPCA leader Barbara Carr states that the report came from a local television news station. 

“They asked me if I knew anything about the dog,” says Carr, executive director. “I had an officer there in 12 minutes, and Channel 7 was already on site. They were sitting in the parking lot. That’s when we got the call from Anderson’s (practice). He’s full of bologna.

“I don’t know any veterinarian who would leave a dog loose on their property. Tell me how anyone can look at those pictures and not see how this was a dog in need,” she adds. 

Carr’s remark echoes others made by the public, which turned up the criticism after published photos showed authorities shaving mat nearly three inches thick. The dog also was given a name — Kenny. 

Kenny, it was revealed, was starving, dehydrated and in acute kidney failure. The dog ate but vomited continuously after feedings, officials say. A barium study showed the dog had a distension of the esophagus cranial to the heart. None of the barium reached the stomach, reports Dr. Helene Chevalier, SPCA veterinarian. 

It soon became clear that euthanasia was the best medical option for the dog, officials contend.

“Kenny suffered most likely from a persistent right aortic arch that ended up obstructing the esophagus posterior to the heart with time,” Chevalier explains. “The distention of the esophagus was severe and old; we suspected that there was already permanent loss of esophageal muscle tone and perhaps destruction of the esophageal nerve supply. 

“He was severely emaciated and could not keep his blood glucose within normal range.” 

The news of Kenny’s death incited more public protest and even caught the attention of the colleagues interacting on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) message boards. Many VIN community members who weighed in debated the moral and legal obligations of DVMs, choosing to hear all sides of the story before passing judgment on Anderson. 

Still, some locals were quicker to form negative assessments.

“The public, like I, has been sort of appalled about this case because someone who was in the position to stop that suffering 25 hours before we were in that position chose not to do it,” Carr says. “What I’m hearing are terrible things. People are outraged.” 

Anderson confirms that he’s received plenty of “nasty calls” at his practice, which has been operating in that community for nearly 25 years. A native of Jamaica, he imagines that much of the backlash has to do with his racial and ethnic heritage and not the decisions he made to aid an abandoned animal. 

“I’m not calling this a total racial thing, but I can tell you this: I know who I am. I am very caring,” Anderson says. “I came up the hard way, and I love what I do. But I am the only veterinarian of color in this area. 

“You know what the news does; they do what they want. People don’t know the full story. This is a witch hunt,” he adds. 

Perhaps Anderson will have his say should a complaint filed by Carr make it up the state’s regulatory chain. 

The report was initiated with the New York State Department of Education’s Office of Professional Discipline. From there, it is investigated and could go to a hearing before the Board of Regents, which is responsible for the final disposition of all disciplinary matters involving licensees in 48 professions. 

The New York State Board for Veterinary Medicine gets involved only to consult on investigations and to follow through on disciplinary actions. 

“I’m not new to this field; I’ve had the misfortune of seeing just about everything,” Carr says. “Somebody abused this animal way before Hector Anderson abused it. But I don’t know any veterinarian who would ignore this situation.” 

VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.

Information and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are independent of the VIN News Service. Letters may be edited for style. We do not verify their content for accuracy.


 
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