From the Daily News:It's a murder mystery with a double twist - the victim is a dog and the prime suspect is a former ASPCA hospital vet.
The owner of a Rottweiler named Bullet is desperately trying to find out how his dog died three years ago and has filed suit in federal court.
Meanwhile, the Daily News has learned that veterinarian John Morehead was accused by three colleagues of kicking the sickly 10-year-old animal.
The revelation came as a shock to Rafael Lopez, who said ASPCA investigators exhumed Bullet's body and performed a necropsy - but never came up with a cause of death.
"He was my baby," Lopez, 58, told The News. "I brought the dog there thinking they would save my dog. I killed him by taking him there."
Lopez had fed Bullet with a spoon since birth. When Bullet fell ill, he took him to the respected ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital on Manhattan's upper East Side.
His first hint that the death might not have been natural came days later when ASPCA investigators showed up at his apartment demanding to know where Bullet was buried. They told him someone at the hospital "was killing dogs," according to the suit filed last year in Manhattan Federal Court against the ASPCA and current and former officials.
The body was exhumed and taken to Cornell Veterinary School in upstate Ithaca for a necropsy. Lopez never got the remains back - or an explanation.
A source familiar with the investigation told The News that there were, in fact, allegations Bullet was abused at the hospital.
A colleague, Dr. Sarah Alward, told higherups that Morehead - who has since left the ASPCA - kicked the dog hard in the torso the day before he died, the source said. Two other hospital employees also told the ASPCA's internal investigators they saw Morehead kick the dog, the source said. One said Morehead punched Bullet after the dog made a sudden movement toward him during an exam, the source said.
Alward, who no longer works at the ASPCA, confirmed to The News that she saw Morehead kick the dog but declined further comment.
14 comments:
The City needs to ban rotweillers. Period.
No, the city needs to ban animal abusers like that vet.
Exactly QC... Takes a real big man/woman to abuse an animals. Humans are the next step for these monsters.
Note: This review is more of a statement on how contrary their business practices are to their name "Animal KIND."
My dog is on a prescription diet and we normally see Dr. Maddon at Park Slope Vet Care on 5th Ave (superb by the way), but they ran out of the prescription wet food, so they wrote me a prescription to take to another area hospital. So I called Animal Kind and asked if they had said food, the receptionist returned and told me that they cannot sell me food unless I am a paying client. Mind you, I had a prescription from the vet and I was only asking for 6 cans to hold my dog over during the weekend. I called Park Slope Vets again and they were very surprised to hear that they wouldn't sell it to me. So they gave me the number to the 6th Ave. Animal Clinic. I called and they were happy to share their cans of food with me so that my dog wouldn't starve over the weekend! I think this is just another example of putting business practice over showing real "KINDNESS" to animals. I mean, it was only 6 cans!!! Animal Kind my a**. If you want real care for your pet, I would NOT go here.
Email reponse from Dr. Gibson:
Dr. Morehead has worked here for about 3 years. He has demonstrated himself to be an exemplary and excellent veterinarian. He has never abused a patient. If he had he would have been terminated immediately. He has proven to be an animal lover through his behavior shown by the love of his own pets, his patients and their owners that call on him for veterinary care. The allegations of his kicking a dog and causing it's death which were printed in the Daily News are false. He was defending himself from an attack from a vicious Rottweiler trying to bite him. The dog died of an illness unrelated to being pushed away by Dr. Morehead. In my opinion, the story as printed is nothing more than an attempt to sensationalize a story to sell newspapers and to persuade the ASPCA into settling a lawsuit in favor of the plaintiff and lawyer representing him. I look forward to his being named as defendant in a court of law so he can be proven innocent, clear his name and reclaim his reputation.
Dr. Mark Gibson
Medical Director
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VET-KICKED-DYING-DOG/308713865189?ref=ts
Dr. Morehead, the coward and wimp, who posted on his profile in Animal kind that he wants muscles is a COWARD. Gibson the director of Animal KIND likes $$$$, if you read the reviews on YELP, he overcharges people. has different prices for the same procedures. No wonder he supports Morehead.
http://www.animalkind.com/meetdoctors.html
Look at John Morehead's picture and his comment that he wants hair and muscle. this man has a complex and a coward. That wimp can only beat on 10 year old sick dying dog. He shouldn't have a license to practice. he should return to bagging groceries
Maybe he was defending himself against a vicious animal? The dog might have been breed and trained by drug dealers to attack people.
Pit bulls, rottweilers and canine presario's all should be banned from NYC. They're banned in France.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/animal-kind-veterinary-hospital-brooklyn-2
read the reviews, they overcharge people and have no expertise. don't take your pet if you love them near that place.
have you seen Mr. Lopez's picture, crying over his dog. He is no drug dealer and his doctor should know how to handle all situation. This dog was 10 years old and sick and died days later.
Morehead's cronies have been posting all their lies on the internet and attacking the VICTIM that this poor dog was aggressive and poor kind morehead was defending for his life. shame on such mean people.
If you want your dog to die there are two places you can take him/her/it.
One would be the ASPCA on the upper east side.
The other would be in THE ELEVATOR OF THE GRANT HOUSES!
This world is screwed up!
nope, the monster works in Animal "kind" in Brooklyn, the ASPCA fired him and investigate the allegations. they are pedophiles in the churches, senior abusers in nursing homes. I blame this wimp John Morehead for abusing this dog. ASPCA provides overall good care.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=13268&post=72571&uid=279596407103&!/edittopic.php?uid=279596407103&action=8#/pages/BOYCOTT-ANIMAL-KIND-VETERINARY-HOSPITAL/279596407103
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