| John |
| | 11/21/09 at 01:34 AM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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Does anyone know the outcome of the unfortunate death of the Richmond, VA SPCA CEO's dog?
http://www.wtvr.com/wtvr-statement-aspca,0,695346.story
Was no action taken against the CEO, Robin Starr? I can't find anything -- not even disciplinary action from the ASPCA. Is she (Robin) immune to animal cruelty laws?
- John
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| Mark Caponigro |
| | 11/21/09 at 03:08 AM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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Sorry, ASPCA, I do not understand the expression of regret and Let's-move-on in the statement that is quoted in the article sent along by John.
Suppose it had been a human child, who was forgotten in an airless overheated car for hours, and who died as a result: surely many people would want to say something a bit fiercer than just, I am sorry for the person's loss.
How in the world could anyone having any association with the ASPCA actually forget a companion animal, especially in a life-threatening situation? Why in the world should it be naive to assume that members of an animal-welfare organization, and especially members of its leadership, will of course make the safety and well-being of their own companion animals a top priority?
I do not believe in punishment, i.e. inflicting pain as retribution. That does no good, and just makes the punishers worse people. But it seems that this Robin should be given a long time-out from her position of leadership, and an opportunity to re-think the unspeakable value of animal lives, and our responsibility to all the vulnerable, helpless animals of the world.
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| John |
| | 11/23/09 at 01:18 PM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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Exactly, Mark! I'm just surprised this hasn't received more scrutiny -- from the public, the media, and even this forum. |
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| Mark Caponigro |
| | 11/24/09 at 08:05 AM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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Well, the people who walk into this forum, and read what is there to be read, are mostly and correctly focused on the welfare of pigeons, parrots, finches, and other birds.
But every animal-lover, every lover of every sort of animal, ought to realize that even with a distinguished group such as the ASPCA, we need to pay attention to the commitment and virtue of every single worker.
And so far as concern for birds goes: Seeing that chickens are the single most horrifyingly abused species of sentient animals on the planet, numbers wise (not to neglect the poor turkeys, in this season of Thanksgiving, when the turkeys are all miserably saying their farewells), we might indeed expect that this forum should have a special entry for poultry welfare.
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| Edie |
| | 11/25/09 at 02:23 PM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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I live in Richmond, and all the news stories say Richmond SPCA stands behind Robin Starr 100%...they say it was just an unfortunate accident. I know Robin Starr. The truth is she just forgot about her dog being in the car. No one leave their lunch in the car in the summertime heat, especially when they have a fancy kitchen to put it in. She remembered her dog was in the car, went out to get him as fast as she could, but he was already too far gone to be saved, though I know she tried. Accidents happen...we stupid people concentrate on all the wrong things. My complaint is that the RSPCA tried to cover it up, lied about how it happened, blamed it on her husband, instead of taking responsibility for that horrible tragedy. If she had been forthcoming about how her dog died, I believe more people would be willing to forgive her. As it is now, not many I know will give her the time of day....by the way, the Richmond SPCA is in no way affiliated with the ASPCA.... |
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| Richard | |
| Merritt Clifton |
| | 11/25/09 at 03:14 PM | Reply with quote | #7 |
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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 2009:
Hot car death of Richmond SPCA director's dog may have helped to lower summer 2009 hot car death toll
RICHMOND, Va.--The Richmond Animal Care & Control Division on August 28, 2009 announced a finding that "no willful intent was found" in an investigation of the death of Louie, a 16-year-old deaf and blind cocker spaniel/poodle mix who died of heatstroke on August 19, 2009 after being left in the back of Richmond SPCA director Robin Starr's station wagon. Starr's husband, Ed Starr, stated that he put Louie into the vehicle as his wife prepared to return to work after a 10-day vacation, but forgot to tell her that he had. Robin Starr found Louie when she started to go to lunch at noon. "Louie died around midnight after veterinarians were unable to restore the pet's kidney functions," reported Jeremy Slayton of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"Robin Starr, a lawyer and an outspoken advocate, viewed Louie's death as a private matter," wrote Times-Dispatch columnist Michael Paul Williams, calling for her resignation from the SPCA post she has held since 1997. "She didn't disclose the death until a week later," Williams continued, "after the Times-Dispatch received a tip. Even then, the SPCA asked a Times-Dispatch reporter not to write a story. But it became national news."
Starr was strongly defended by the Richmond SPCA board and donors.
The Starr case appears to have been the most publicized animal--or baby--death in a hot car of 2009, and may have helped to prevent deaths during the last five weeks of summer. Fewer than half as many children and animals died in hot car cases known to ANIMAL PEOPLE in the summer of 2009 as in any of the four preceding summers. Data published in 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention indicates that about 40 small children per year die in parked car accidents, chiefly in cases involving heat stress. Reported cases involving animals average about half as many. About a quarter of the animal toll during the past decade were police dogs. Most were trapped in police cars with faulty air conditioners, while their handlers were out of the cars on duty.
Helen Woodward Animal Center publicist John Van Zante, the longtime national leader in hot car death prevention, did his annual demonstration of the dangers of leaving animals or children in cars during summer on July 16, 2009, but a test on July 13 produced a more dramatic result: the temperature inside a closed HWAC van rose from 77 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 in seven minutes, and reached 147 in 25 minutes.
-- Merritt Clifton
Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE
P.O. Box 960
Clinton, WA 98236
Telephone: 360-579-2505
Fax: 360-579-2575
E-mail: anmlpepl@whidbey.com
Web: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org
[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.]
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| Jean |
| | 11/25/09 at 03:18 PM | Reply with quote | #8 |
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| Poor dog, but I still think Bob and the rest of the loonies were wrong to protest ASPCA. They are proud recipients of Darwin Awards. Shame on them.
Pets Alive, the so called Sanctuary that put on it website not to donate to ASPCA but to them was a situation of institutionalized hoarding. http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=2D1299AE-BDB9-396E-93307A371F47F219 These critics of ASPCA are crazy. Instead of doing demos in front of the dog abusers or court house, they are protesting the ASPCA.
ASPCA did the right thing. Leading the critics is Camille Hankins, the Director of Win Animal Rights who was convicted of cruelty to animal. Many of her animals found there were dying from contagious illness and many were literally scratching themselves to death and had bloody, seeping wounds. http://www.pet-abuse.com/case_images/4612 |
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| C.A. |
| | 11/26/09 at 09:36 AM | Reply with quote | #9 |
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The large, well funded organizations are ALWAYS immune for any kind of accountability.
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| Lana |
| | 11/26/09 at 05:56 PM | Reply with quote | #10 |
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| The ASPCA is not such a wonderful organization. They've put thousands, if not millions of healthy dogs & cat "to sleep" over their many years in business. |
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| ak42 |
| | 11/29/09 at 09:40 AM | Reply with quote | #11 |
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This CEO is awful. What animal rescuer doesn't know you don't leave an animal in a hot car for a few minutes, let alone hours? She is either stupid or worse. |
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