Chief BARC vet neglected to mention suspension of license
The Chronicle's Bill Murphy reports the latest unflattering news regarding BARC:
The chief veterinarian at the Houston animal pound had her license suspended in New Jersey and was placed on probation for three years after a veterinary board in 2004 found that she had provided substandard care to three dogs.
Eunice Ohashiegbula-Iwunze didn’t note the New Jersey suspension on her application for the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care job in 2007 and omitted it from her application for the top post at BARC several months ago — though the applications may not have required such information.
Animal welfare advocates, who uncovered the information about the veterinarian, called on the city to fire her.
“The city should not have hired Doctor O, and she should not remain on staff at BARC,” said Kelly Cripe, an activist who served on an animal task force created by Mayor Bill White in 2005. “Animal owners in Houston need to understand that if their animal goes missing, it is one truck ride from BARC. You wouldn’t take your animal to a vet in private practice with this track record, and you shouldn’t have to at BARC.”
Michael Terraso, who has oversight of BARC as assistant director of the city health and human services department, said that as far he knows, the city did not learn of Ohashiegbula-Iwunze’s suspension until Monday.
As Cory Crow notes, creative résumé manipulation is just another component of The Houston Way.
BARC frequently draws (deserved) criticism from animal rescue groups, but neither the organization nor its general approach ever seems to interest city leaders for long (not even those who fancy themselves "quality of life" leaders). Even the Chronicle editorial board today criticized "city officials" in relation to BARC. It's rare for the current administration to lose Mrs. White, about as rare as a timely editorial from the same!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/14/09 08:30 AM | Print | Comments (5)
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