April 15 marked one year since Texas veterinarian Kristen Lindsey killed a cat with a bow and arrow and bragged about it on Facebook. Today, the fight to revoke Lindsey’s veterinary license continues. A new hearing date for the case has been set for April 25 – 27, but Lindsey is taking action that could either postpone or dismiss the hearing and allow her to retain her license if approved.
Mediation between Lindsey and the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners fell through, but on April 8, Lindsey’s attorney filed a Motion to Dismiss as well as a Motion to Stay the Proceedings. The motions coincide with Lindsey suing the Board in district court for “exceeding the authority granted by Texas Codes” by revoking her license. Lindsey is claiming that the Board has no authority to discipline her because she wasn’t convicted of animal cruelty and the incident didn’t involve veterinary medicine.
If the Motion to Dismiss is granted, there will be no hearing and Lindsey will retain her license and continue practicing veterinary medicine. If the Motion to Stay is granted, the hearing will be postponed until the court case against the Board is done. Both motions would make it harder for Lindsey to get the punishment she deserves.
However, the Board is still determined to revoke Lindsey’s license. It claimed that the reasons behind the Motion to Dismiss are at odds with the Board’s authorized duty to define professional veterinary conduct and protect the public. It also pointed out that the Administrative Law Judge on the case has already considered very similar arguments, and ordered that the Board is not overstepping its bounds.
In a recent pleading, the Board stated “animal cruelty is an exceptionally serious violation for a licensed veterinarian….There is no sanction, short of revocation, that the Board can impose that would sufficiently protect the public from [Lindsey’s] poor professional character.”
We will continue watching the case closely and keep you updated on progress.