Pocket spent 7 days                                        

269 Stage Rd.  Hampstead, New Hampshire

at Dover Veterinary Hospital on IV fluids unable to consume or metabolize food. This detailed account will be directly from her medical records from both hospitals and will include laboratory results, hospitalization records, vitals, medications and fluids received, and a witnessed account of her last days and minutes of life.

After obtaining Pocket's medical records, I filed a 4 page complaint to the NH Board of Veterinary Medicine on November 7, 2006 and an additional 2 page letter with more details & witness names on December 27th.  Brad Taylor, DVM , (board member NHVMA) of Riverside Clinic, Boscawen and Capital Area Veterinary Emergency Services, Concord--(past) Vice President of the NH Board (current president) contacted me to investigate via a single phone call on January 5th. I then submitted a single page final summary response on January 7th. 

The Board voted to "not find for Unprofessional Conduct" and "dismiss , without predjudice..." on January 23, 2007.

Expert cooperation & coordination of 2 clinics, several DVM's and support staff , $3000 and over a week of prescribed treatment and I still have questions regarding Pocket's case. 

1. Did we receive special consideration and treatment because Pocket's long-time vet and partner of Edgefield , Susan Tasillo, DVM relocated to another state shortly after an imposed $40,000 legal judgement against the clinic  (hence the recently filed Limited Liability Corp.)  ?
2. Why were we referred over an HOUR away, when a state-of-the-art  veterinary facility is within 15  minutes of my home?
3. Was it because both clinics are in the "vet tech teaching program" and benefit from free labor? Do these clinics receive state-sponsored financial incentives via program funding?
4. What cancer did she have?
5. Why were my requests for euthanasia discouraged?
6. Why was I deceived , pressured, and her suffering so unnecessarily prolonged ?
7. Why was her life ended in such an illegal and CRUEL manner?
8. What did the vet tech students from NH Technical Community College , Stratham Campus  ,now named GREAT BAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Margaret A. MacGregor, VMD, program director)  learn from Pocket?
9. Why would a reputable & ethical educational  STATE SPONSORED institution allow impressionable students to learn deception, cruelty, suffering, or cause the appearance of impropriety?
10. Why does the state of New Hampshire allow limited DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) licensed Vets to have contact with companion patients/clients?
11. Why would  the state allow the investigation to be conducted by a fellow former and future colleague and co-worker?

***Take measures , ask questions, long before your pet is ill or dying to prevent veterinary abuse

Compiled from 1995-2005 end of year summaries received from the NH Board of Veterinary Medicine are the following statistics:

Summary: 1995-2000   85 written complaints received and 9 forms of official discipline imposed for a rate of 10.5%

2000-2005    133 written complaints resulted in 7 forms of official discipline for a rate of 5.3%

Fiscal year 2006-07    27 written complaints resulted in 1 settlement.This years token volunteer was Dr. Horvath-Palmer

NH Board Members January '07:

Derek Fritz, DVM (President) of Tenney, Fritz, and Coombs Animal Hospital, Peterborough, NH

Brad Taylor, DVM (Vice Pres. & Investigator) *see above

Robin Hertel, DVM of Crossroads Animal Hospital, Londonderry, NH

Eileen Petersen, DVM of Daniel Webster Animal Hospital, Bedford, NH

Jennifer Sula, DVM of Salisbury, NH: breeder/owner/exhibitor and member of Irish Wolfhound Association of New England and Blackwater Veterinary Services of Salisbury, NH

Susan C. Flint, Henniker, NH ----public member

On October 16, 2007 4:30 pm, at Dover Police Department, Dover, NH (603-742-4646)----Kathy M. Ladisheff Animal Control & certified Cruelty Investigator took my sworn statement of violation NH RSA 437:22 sect. II  "animal care facility must put an animal to death humanely" case number 70119854

phone call on  10/30/07  to Ms. Ladisheff : said CFS#  is 7019854 and report has been submitted to Sgt. William Malsbury, Dover Police Dept. for followup

**update: 12/12/07 -written report declares case closed without investigation because State declares "unfounded". According to Dover Police interpretation : NH State Euthanasia Law only applicable to "Laboratory Animals"  In my opinion, this is a frightening observation   (see NH animal law page)

Coming soon July 2008

web link & informative pages

Pocket's Story from NH --link 2