The Dr. Kristen Lindsey cruelty case is still being pursued, but the wheels of justice for Tiger -- a housecat the bloodthirsty veterinarian savagely trapped and killed with an arrow -- are turning much too slow.
The matter drew worldwide attention this spring when she proudly posted a photo of herself with the half-dead feline on Facebook, accompanied by the vile boast “My first bow kill LOL.”
Even worse, the rogue vet’s own mother, Becky Lindsey, claimed credit for taking the incriminating snapshot; evidence the two then undertook to conceal by deleting it from their social media accounts once the graphic image ignited a firestorm online.
By then though, the less than “awesome” Dr. Lindsey had rightly been fired by the local animal clinic where she worked, and a police investigation into her sickening offense was in progress.
That open-and-shut animal cruelty case then stalled when it reached a grand jury, no doubt hindered by the Lindseys efforts to obfuscate the issue with absurd new claims that Tiger had been “humanely” put down with a bow and arrow through his head because he was “rabid.”
As a result, the grand jury wrongly concluded there was “insufficient evidence” to prosecute her for a criminal offense that she herself had callously broadcast and bragged about online. In their refusal to indict, erroneously quoting the American Veterinary Medical Association’s guidelines for humane euthanasia:
“The American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines state that physical method of killing animals such as a gunshot or bolt to the head can be humane when done correctly. (AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, 2013 Ed., at 11-12.) When performed properly, the animal may exhibit involuntary movements but is unaware and unable to experience pain (AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, 2013 Ed., at 16.) Evidence is insufficient, based on the online photograph alone, to determine whether the animal was killed in a cruel manner.”
The AMVA had already been alerted to the Kristen Lindsey animal cruelty case in Texas, and was therefore fully aware, in advance of the jury’s June 24th dismissal, that the deviant doc had slain a housecat purely for sport and perverse pleasure. As opposed to performing a mercy killing.
Thus, when they saw their words being twisted so she could escape prosecution for the felony she committed, they were more than a little outraged.
An arrow is neither a bullet nor a bolt, the AMVA quickly corrected. And shooting one through the skull of a bear-trapped cat -- feral or domesticated -- isn’t compassionately administering euthanasia, either. Not to mention that none of such missiles or methods are approved for use on small animals.
It’s not clear what effect their statement will have on the grand jury’s capricious and controversial decision now, but, regardless, there is still hope that justice for Tiger can finally be obtained when the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners takes up the case.
The TBVME doesn’t need a criminal indictment nor a conviction to revoke Dr. Kristen Lindsey’s license to practice veterinary medicine. Which, hopefully, they will do without further delay.
