Update November 19, 2018: Kristen Lindsey Petition Slowly Moves Forward
The Texas Supreme Court has requested a full brief on the merits of the Kristen Lindsey case. This means the justices decided Lindsey’s petition to appeal the restrictions on her veterinary license is worthy of additional scrutiny. Lindsey’s brief is due Dec. 17. The brief in response from the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examinerswhich set the restrictions on her veterinary licenseis due Jan. 7, 2019. Lindsey’s brief in reply to that is due Jan. 22, 2019.
After the briefings are filed, the court is likely to decide whether to grant or deny Lindsey’s petition.
Alley Cat Allies will continue to monitor this case and provide updates.
Update August 17, 2018
The Texas Supreme Court has granted the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME) an extension for responding to Kristen Lindsey’s petition. The TBVME now has until Sept. 11 to file its response.
Update July 23, 2018: Kristen Lindsey Petition Pending Review in Texas Court
Kristen Lindsey’s petition to appeal the restrictions on her veterinary license is pending review in the Texas Supreme Court. The high court has asked the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which set the restrictions on Lindsey’s license, to file a response to her petition by August 20.
Lindsey, the Texas veterinarian who killed a cat named Tiger with a bow and arrow and bragged about it on social media, is seeking an appeal after a lower court upheld a decision to suspend her veterinary license for one year and place her on probation for four years. She is currently permitted to practice under supervision only.
“No amount of legal maneuvering should distract from the outrage of this case, which involves a veterinarian who casually cast aside her sacred do-no-harm oath, and professional obligations, and inflicted such cruelty on Tiger the cat,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “Tiger was fully aware of this terrible torture as he suffered and died. Her punishment was far too lenient to begin with. Kristen Lindsey should never be trusted to care for cats or any other animals again.”
Alley Cat Allies will continue to provide updates in this case.
Original Post
Kristen Lindsey, the Texas veterinarian who killed a cat with a bow and arrow and bragged about it on Facebook, has lost appeals to her license suspension in court. The Third Court of Appeals in Texas upheld a decision on April 27 to suspend Lindsey’s veterinary license for one year and to put her on probation for four years, meaning she can practice under supervision only. The court also ordered Lindsey to pay all costs related to her appeals.
The Texas Board of Veterinary Medicine (TBVME) initially sought to revoke Lindsey’s veterinary license. The Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings instead recommended one year of complete suspension and four years of probation. Her one year of full suspension ended in October 2017. She is on probation and permitted to practice on a probationary basis.
Lindsey tried and failed to challenge her sentence at the district court level. She then appealed to the Texas Third Court of Appeals to overturn the suspension. She had another appeal pending in this same court to challenge the rules under which she was disciplined. On Friday, April 27, she lost both cases.
Alley Cat Allies has been involved in Lindsey’s case since April 2015, when the veterinarian used a bow and arrow to shoot Tiger, an orange-and-white cat who wandered into her yard, and posted a gruesome photo of it on Facebook. Our staff attorneys attended the hearings in the case to push for the strongest punishment, filed an amicus brief, and provided testimony against Lindsey. We kept our audience informed of developments as the case proceeded.
Lindsey’s Facebook photo sparked worldwide outcry to remove her from the practice of veterinary medicine. In it, a smiling Lindsey held Tiger by the arrow she had shot through his head. “My first bow kill lol,” read the photo’s caption. “The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through its head! Vet of the year award…gladly accepted.”
Veterinarians are required to take an oath to protect animals, and Lindsey shattered that oath with her cruel actions. Compelling testimony at the hearing even suggested Tiger may have been alive at the time the photo was taken.
Alley Cat Allies believes Lindsey’s veterinary license should have been permanently revoked, as she has proven she lacks the compassion needed to care for animals.
“We’re pleased that the courts still see Kristen Lindsey’s actions as deserving of punishment, however, a one-year suspension is grossly inadequate for a veterinarian who gained such pleasure from the torture of a cat,” said Becky Robinson, President and Founder of Alley Cat Allies. “Kristen Lindsey should never be trusted to practice veterinary medicine again.”