Suki's Safe Haven is exactly what it sounds like - a safe place for victims of veterinary incompetence, negligence, and abuse to obtain information about this disturbing but important subject. It's a companion site to The Veterinary Abuse Network, which grew out of a site founded in 2000 in memory of Suki the Cat, REPEATEDLY MISTREATED BY EDWARD J NICHOLS DVM, CRESTWAY ANIMAL CLINIC, San Antonio, and to alert the public of serious flaws in state board systems that routinely look the other way to protect the vets - and not our pets. You'll find original posts and articles as well as links to victims' stories, resources, other sites and blogs, and media coverage from all over the net. We'll also cover First Amendment issues for those of us who have been sued by the very veterinarians who mistreated our pets and then used the legal system in an attempt to silence us.

We will never forget. We will never be silenced.

This is an independent consumer advocacy blog and not associated with any government agency in any way.

September 19, 2013

Tribute Site Spotlight: Spanky's Voice


UPDATE: BADVET GARY BRACKEEN'S LICENSE HAS BEEN REVOKED BY THE TBVME

This is a second in a series that spotlights veterinary victims' Tribute Sites that go beyond the story of their own tragedy to help educate others on matters of public concern, health, and safety.

The site: http://spankysvoice.weebly.com/
Site owner: Nettie (Sissy) Dunn
Veterinarian: Gary Brackeen, Anchor Road Veterinary Clinic, Angleton, Texas

I'll cut right to the chase: Gary Brackeen of Angleton, Texas, is a bad vet. 
 
A very bad vet. 
 
Don't believe me? Read what the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners essentially had to say about this “doctor” when they issued a formal reprimand against him on October 18, 2011 in their Agreed Order, which resulted in a two-year probation, orders to take continuing education, and to pay restitution to Spanky's owner.


Dr. Brackeen violated 5 (five) Rules of Professional Conduct and admitted to self-administering 3 (three) prescription medications 

Dr. Brackeen did not use the proper care or humane treatment that is required by the Veterinary Code of Ethics.

Dr. Brackeen did not use the proper care or humane treatment that is required by the Veterinary Code of Ethics
 
Dr. Brackeen allows his unlicensed help to perform and medically treat animals without his input
 
Dr Brackeen failed to record the required information that would be helpful in diagnosing why an animal died while in his care
 
Dr. Brackeen dispensed prescription drugs for his personal use

It's that last one that's the killer: As if a regular BadVet isn't bad enough, how about a BadVet prescribing drugs for himself? Brackeen admitted to self-prescribing Lasix (diuretic), amoxicillin (antibiotic), and methocarbamol (muscle relaxant). Like all BadVets everywhere, none of these creeps ever think the rules apply to them. But even for a BadVet, Brackeen is a real horror story--and for anybody who thinks cheap vet care is the way to go, you may want to rethink that decision.

Now you would think that a vet like this would straighten up and fly right after this damning evidence and disciplinary action by the state vet board? 
 
Nah. Some of these BadVets are so far gone they don't care about anything anymore. 
 
The Texas veterinary board should have yanked this guy's license on the spot. But they didn't. Even with self-prescribing and medicating, allowing unlicensed personnel to treat animals without supervision, recordkeeping violations, and violations of the Professional Standard of Humane Care that resulted in a formal reprimand, they allowed Brackeen to continue to “treat” animals, relying on the hope that maybe Brackeen would do the right thing and not renew his license.

Guess what? That didn't happen. Two years later, Brackeen continues to practice, and right now there are ten open investigations on Brackeen and two against one of his employees. These involve allegations that his treatment resulted in the deaths of more animals. That's right. Members of people's families, just like Spanky was a beloved member of the Dunn family, continue to be harmed or killed and once again, all the signs point to Brackeen's “cheap” substandard veterinary "care." How much more proof does the Texas vet board need to end this guy's reign of terror?

Anybody considering filing a complaint in Texas should read every page of Spanky's Voice, because Sissy has done her homework from day one, while enduring the same unending grief and outrage that we all do when a vet has caused the death of our loved ones. She has turned her outrage into true consumer advocacy, helping others and continuing Spanky's legacy:

“I have met some wonderful people through this process and learned many details and I have heard many sad stories of neglect,” says Sissy. “Spanky’s page  has been instrumental to getting the word out.” She says that the site has had views from every state in the U.S., as well as visitors from Japan, Russia, the UK, Spain and many more. “I could never have imagined the amount of people that would be interested in my sweet boy's story.”

People are interested because the site is so well documented it's like going through the experience every step of the way—not that we would wish that on anybody. And Sissy didn't stop with a kick-ass web site. She has organized regular protests of Brackeen's clinic, Anchor Road Veterinary Hospital, to call attention to not only Brackeen but also to raise awareness of BadVets everywhere. The next demonstration will be on Saturday, September 21, 2013, from 8a to 12p. Angleton is about 40 miles south of Houston on 288. 
Try to go and show your support, but at the very least check out Sissy's excellent site. She is, was, and always will be Spanky's Voice.


The Takeaway for Owners/Guardians: Dealing with the state vet board can be so grueling that it's almost like watching your pet die all over again, over and over. You need a thick skin, the patience of a saint, and the stubbornness of a mule (or a really BadVet who won't go away). Take a tip from Sissy (and Winston Churchill): “Never, ever, ever give up.” When it looked like the board was going to let Brackeen's disciplinary action requirements slip beneath the waves, Sissy was all over them with polite but firm correspondence, asking them to make sure that Brackeen was complying with the Agreed Order. Spanky's site documents all of this in great detail, while keeping the site easy to read and follow.


The Takeaway for Vets: If you get caught violating this many statutes, have harmed and/or killed this many pets, and you are self-prescribing and self-medicating to boot, get out of the veterinary profession. Stop making excuses for your sorry self, stop shifting the blame, and stop lying. Your denial serves no purpose except to keep taking people's pets, trust, and money for your own selfish arrogance and ego food. Enough.

The Takeaway for Vet Boards: There should be zero tolerance for repeat offenders when there is this much evidence that so much is going wrong at one vet clinic. Stay on top of disciplinary actions to make sure that vets are complying with the Agreed Order – otherwise what's the point? Get rid of these bad apples—now--before they can hurt anyone else's pet.


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