People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants Spotsylvania County supervisors to censure one of their own for his involvement in an animal-control investigation last month.
PETA's letter to Board of Supervisors Chairman Jerry Logan yesterday calls the actions of Supervisor Emmitt Marshall a "disgrace" and a violation of the board's ethics policy.
Marshall said yesterday that he intervened in the seizure of two foxhounds last month in hopes of persuading the county's animal-control officer not to file charges against the dogs' owner. But he maintained he did nothing wrong.
PETA's request comes three weeks after Marshall tried to persuade veterinarians and employees at Spotsylvania Animal Hospital to release two gaunt hunting dogs to his son's friend. Animal-control officers delivered the dogs to the hospital after a resident filed a complaint about the dogs running at large in the Lake Anna area.
PETA's Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch said she received several calls about the incident.
"People are very concerned that he was interfering with an investigation, and, frankly, the medical care of these dogs," she said.
The animal hospital's veterinarian said in July that the dogs had infections and were 20 pounds underweight. Marshall argued the dogs were just a few pounds underweight.
A judge ruled July 25 that the dogs were not neglected and ordered them returned to the owner, Jake Payne of Louisa County. The animal-control investigation remains open.
Logan said yesterday he had not yet seen PETA's letter.
"If that letter is bringing up these allegations and making it an issue, it probably is something that the board will want to talk about," he said. "I would have to discuss it with other board members and see how they want to deal with it."
Typically, allegations about a supervisor violating the board's code of ethics are discussed behind closed doors. Rarely, if ever, have supervisors exited the closed meeting and formally announced that a member violated the code.
Marshall said yesterday that he had not seen the PETA letter either.
He said that on the morning of July 19 he went to the Animal Control Office to speak with Director William Tydings to urge him not to press charges. Tydings was not there, so Marshall said he went to the animal hospital to get the dogs released.
"I certainly have not violated any code of ethics," he said. "They accused me of saying that I was going to call the sheriff. That is not true."
peta wants marshall censured(posted by
bucks
, Aug. 9, 2008 2:51 pm)
Whether Marshall might have hada senior moment when he went to the Spotsy. Animal Hosp. or he was truly incensed that someone had actually intervened in something he had been involved in for a long time,I'll wager he now wishes he had not done this. When people are caught doing something wrong, their first reaction generally is to remove the evidence. I would think that there are no longer any hounds in Payne's or Marshall's back yard dog runs that might be evicence of neglect or ill treatment.
There are many animal control officers...(posted by
MySoldiersMom
, Aug. 9, 2008 12:46 pm)
so I have no idea what you're talking about and I don't see how any of that has anything to do with this case!! Are we trying to grasp at straws here or something? Dogs were neglected, Marshall overstepped his bounds...case closed!!!
Another dumb remark, whistleblower!!(posted by
MySoldiersMom
, Aug. 9, 2008 12:44 pm)
lol Did the judge go see the dogs when they were first brought in? I am not a vet, nor a judge...I just know someone in animal control. I know what condition those dogs were in...you don't read like half the others on here! And I haven't been asking everyone if they are a vet! lol Go back and read EVERYTHING AGAIN! I"m done, I know what my point is and it seems difficult for the ingnorant to comprehend!
one more thing(posted by
Whistleblower
, Aug. 9, 2008 12:40 pm)
since you claim to know the Animal Control Officer so well, how about telling us if it was true or false that she had her own little incident with some horses a while back that had to be rehabbed at Quad J farms because of neglect as posted on the other forum? If it is true, I would like to know how she got a job as an AC officer? But as you see, I don't believe everything I read and am trying to do a little "research" before I hang her out to dry like so many have done the others involved in this case.
soldier, are you are Judge?(posted by
Whistleblower
, Aug. 9, 2008 12:33 pm)
Since you seem ask everyone if "they are a vet", and seem to think we should take this one vets word over the word of another vet and several other witnesses, maybe I should ask you, are you a Judge? Because you keep bringing up 'these dogs were neglected" even after the Judge said they weren't. I can't help but wonder what else about this case is fabrication and maybe Marshall didn't do some of the things he is "accused" of. Could this be a vet trying to make a name for herself and it backfired on her?
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