Colorado State University administrators Saturday addressed what they called “deeply disturbing news” involving a 2012 veterinary college graduate who bragged on Facebook about killing a cat with a bow and arrow and who posted a photo supposedly showing the animal. Kristen Lindsey, DVM, a veterinarian at Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham, Texas, was fired Friday. The Austin County Sheriff’s Office launched a criminal investigation and stated that Dr. Lindsey would be interviewed this week with her attorney present. Colorado State issued a 457-word letter from Mark Stetter, DVM, Dipl. ACZM, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Melinda Frye, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, the associate dean for veterinary academic and student affairs. “We … strongly decry the grotesque actions and comments displayed in that post,” Drs. Stetter and Frye wrote. “We trust … that the case will be appropriately adjudicated through both the law enforcement system and the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.” They said CSU veterinary students and “our many graduates … achieve great things each day.” “We also wish to express our support for you, as students and veterinary professionals who joined this field with integrity and concern for animal welfare,” the statement read. “Each day, you uphold our shared values as people who profoundly care about the health and well-being of living creatures.” The administrators reprinted the Veterinarian’s Oath as “a promise we hold dear.” The Texas Veterinary Medical Association released a separate statement saying the organization “strongly condemns the actions of a veterinarian who claims to have recently shot and killed a feral cat with the use of a bow and arrow.” Lindsey is not a TVMA member. “We are saddened and disturbed by the unfortunate actions of this individual, and we remind Texas residents that this conduct is not reflective of the veterinary profession or of the veterinarians who strive to embody the words of the Veterinarian’s Oath every day,” the association stated. The American Veterinary Medical Association tackled the case as well. “We think it’s important, though, to make clear to all that we, too, were shocked and appalled by this image when we saw it,” the organization wrote on its Facebook page. “Every veterinarian takes an oath that states in part that they will ‘use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering.’ “We are confident that the legal system and licensing board will take appropriate action, and we will continue to monitor the situation.” The Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which licenses practitioners, stated that its director of enforcement is investigating.
