Ohai, friends. My cat LuvLee & I have been following the events around the prosecution of cat-murdering, unemployed veterinarian Kristen Lindsey. For backstory, see twitter feed https://twitter.com/... and elenacarlena's diary from last week: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Today's action: Please email the mail DA in Austin Texas at travis.koehn@austincounty.com and ask him to bring charges against Kristen Lindsey! More info below the fold, and of course LuvLee says Fanks:
Brief recap: Earlier this month, a Texas veterinarian named Kristen Lindsey was target practicing with bow & arrow in her yard when a neighbor's cat wandered through. Lindsey shot the cat with an arrow and posted a very disturbing picture of herself hoisting the cat (which may have been still alive, based on subsequent comments for other veterinarians who saw the photo) on her FB page, bragging about her "first bow kill." Her parents were apparently watching as she did this; her mother even bragged about her role in taking the photo. (Family values!)
Fyi: I will not post that picture, but fair warning > many of the links to follow on this topic do show it.
Anyway, needlessly to say the story went viral, and not in a good way. You don't mess with pootie peeps, and not just on DKos! Since then, the vet clinic Lindsey worked for immediately fired her. There have been strong statements denouncing her actions from the clinic, her alma mater Colorado State, and the TX and American boards of veterinary medicine. There has been a campaign to get the TX board to revoke her license, and they are undertaking those proceedings.
The sheriff whose jurisdiction she is under has investigated and recommended that she be charged with animal cruelty. It is also illegal in TX as in most places to shoot a domestic cat, whether feral or not. So it's in the DA's hands. Tomorrow, April 29, the grand jury is scheduled to meet. The DA has indicated he's considering prosecution, but is has not made a clear statement of his intent to do so. Therefore, we'd like to get as many emails as we can urging prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. Please address them to travis.koehn@austincounty.com and please be polite!
I'm posting this quickly right now, to get up, but I'll add more as the day progresses. I'm running 6 different directions today, so I'll be checking in and out. Thanks for your support for Tiger the cat!
One last thing: the previous diary brought up discussion about feral cats, cats killing birds, cats should be kept inside, etc. While many of those points are well-taken, they are outside the scope of this diary, and I will not answer them if brought up in the comments (except to say, your concern is noted). The cat Lindsey killed was not feral but a family pet, and besides it doesn't matter. There is no open season on domestic cats!
11:13 AM PT: Okay, I sent my letter. Here's the text if someone wants to use it as inspiration for theirs (but please reword yours; copied letters aren't as effective):
Dear Sir: I am adding my voice to the thousands of animal lovers across the country who were appalled by the callous actions of Dr. Kristen Lindsey, who cruelly murdered an innocent family pet, Tiger the cat. Tiger's only mistake was to wander across Lindsey's yard. He did not deserve to die for that.
I hope you will act swiftly and follow the recommendation of the your sheriff's department. Lindsey not only broke the law, but as a professional charged with the care of animals who cannot speak for themselves, she sets a horrible example. We hope that she will prevented from ever working with animals again. A conviction on her record would go a long way towards ensuring that. It might also help to stave off attempts to imitate Lindsey's cruelty by other sick individuals. Plus, it would provide some justice for Tiger and all other innocent animals who are harmed by human thoughtlessness.
Please prosecute Ms. Lindsey to the fullest extent of the law!