Kathy Barton

Controversial Ex-BARC Vet Accused Of Botching Surgeries (With Graphic Photos)

Sad kitten is sad​A veterinarian who left the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care after he was caught dispensing controlled substances without proper registration is now accused of botching routine surgeries on four kittens last week at his new job at a low-cost clinic. Marie Melancon told H ... More >>

Health Inspector Tells Natachee's Beloved Horse to "Giddy Up"

Lacy, the famed Natachee's horse, nuzzles up to owner Jerry Don Luco. ​ Jerry Don Luco, co-owner of Natachee's Supper & Punch, is a cowboy. He's got the hat, the boots, an endless supply of quirky Southern idioms, and like any good cowboy, Jerry has a horse. Her name is Lacy, and she's quickly ... More >>

Vote Delayed, Entertainingly, On BARC Chief's Contract

Photo by abcrumley​City Council once again delayed the vote on extending BARC Interim Chief Gerry Fusco's contract today, possibly killing any chance to revive the vote in the future. Fusco's initial agreement with the city, made possible via a $49,500 purchase order, expires Friday.Health a ... More >>

Former BARC Vet Sues City Over His Firing

​Veterinarian Gil Costas, fired from the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care last February for an alleged registration violation, has sued the City under the Texas Whistleblower Act.Filed today, the suit accuses the city of "trying to hurriedly squelch Dr. Costas and discredit him" after Costa ... More >>

Council Hears About More BARC Stuff, This Time Some Nasty Divorce Allegations

​It seems a day can't go by without some drama regarding the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. Today's edition involves a 2006 allegation of abuse against BARC Interim Bureau Chief Gerry Fusco made by his then-wife. The Harris County Sheriff's Office report was posted on an online animal- ... More >>

An Interview With BARC's Change Agent

Photo by allygirl520​BARC could install a 3,000-square-foot building to house cats within a month, interim chief Gerry Fusco and Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Kathy Barton told Hair Balls Wednesday. It was a bit of welcome concrete information, something that's been scarce since Fus ... More >>

BARC Whistleblower's Case To Continue

Photo by Craig MalisowShelby Kibodeaux, outside the courthouse​A Harris County Court judge found probable cause this morning in the case of a BARC volunteer accused of filing a false police report; the next court date is scheduled for August 28. With all the change-agentization taking place at BAR ... More >>

A Shake-Up At BARC, For Better Or Worse

​BARC went through some housecleaning yesterday -- in a big way.In addition to the firing of veterinarian Eunice Ohashiegbula-Iwunze, other BARC personnel issues Wednesday included the resignation of Administrative Supervisor Dorian Strickland and a "disciplinary procedure in process" for vet tech ... More >>

BARC's Alleged Dog-Puncher Is Out Of A Job

Murray Bailey, the BARC kennel attendant accused of punching a puppy in the head in June, is no longer working at the facility, Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Kathy Barton tells Hair Balls. We're waiting to hear if there's an official explanation, but Barton said Bailey was still on his proba ... More >>

A Three-Hour Council Meeting On BARC Achieves...About What You'd Expect, Unfortunately

Photo by dunkv​The biggest surprise during yesterday's City Council Committee on Human Services and Technology meeting on BARC was not that it was three hours of meaningless bureaucratic babble -- Hair Balls had $50 on that -- but that the ghost of Dante Alighieri showed up. "Aband ... More >>

Yet Another Twisted Tale From BARC

Photo by bf_photos​When BARC volunteer Nela Brown accused a kennel attendant with a long criminal history of punching a puppy June 9, she assumed the matter would be investigated and the man would be dealt with accordingly.  After all, when another volunteer, Shelby Kibode ... More >>

BARC Puppy Literally Washed Down The Drain

​A stray puppy at BARC was placed in the wrong cage and washed down the drain last Thursday night, Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Kathy Barton confirmed today. She would not give the name or position of the person who placed the puppy in the cage, but said the person has been susp ... More >>

For BARC, A Change (Agent) Is Gonna Come

Photo by bf_photos BARC has inked a six-month contract with Houston consultant Gerry Fusco to address physical, financial and operational procedures at the troubled animal-control facility. Houston Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathy Barton told Hair Balls that Fusco will be ... More >>

BARC Chief Is Fired, With Little In The Way Of Explanation

BARC Bureau Chief Ray Sim was fired today, spokeswoman Kathy Barton confirmed. She would not give specific reasons, saying only "I think it was just an issue of timing...[it was] not the right time for this guy." Sim began his job in May, after the Department of Health and Human Services conducted a ... More >>

Getting the Spin from BARC: Things are just rosy at the pound, according to the Chronicle

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

The Chronicle's Columnist, Buying BARC's Spin

Photo by elvissaToday's Chron column by Lisa Falkenberg, headlined "Finally, a bit of good news out of BARC," might have been more accurately titled "When Public Relations Attacks!" What the column lacks in actual news value and insight, it makes up for by highlighting what might be one of BARC's th ... More >>

BARC Comes Up With Some Answers, Of A Sort

Photo by R'eyesWe've got updates on last week's BARC stories; the delays of which could have easily been avoided by proactive public relations, which is apparently anathema to the animal control department of the nation's fourth-largest city.Last week's photo of exposed canine cadavers in the ... More >>

Swine Flu Is A Pandemic Now!!! Panic!! Or, In Houston, Don't

The World Health Organization has declared swine flu to be a pandemic, the first in over 40 years.It's doing it mostly on the basis of a sharp growth in cases in Australia, Japan and Chile, but just about every story on the subject -- at least in America -- mentions Houston.We were, of course, the f ... More >>

BARC, Showing Its (In)Competence Once Again

Photo by Martin EveringtonThe captured dog, waiting for BARC, is at least in the shade now.Meet the latest dog who will likely wind up on one of those BARC meatwagons Hair Balls discussed Wednesday.The pictures come from a friend of Jerry Heinemeier, who owns a produce business by Old Spanish Trail ... More >>

More (Somewhat Meandering, But Nevertheless Entertaining) Tales Of BARC Incompetence

Photo by Daniel KramerWe're pretty sure the dude who coined that phrase about a hard task being akin to "nailing jelly to a wall" wasn't referring to getting news out of BARC, but he could've been.For one thing, Health and Human Services did not tell the media when BARC hired its new chief, Ray Sim. ... More >>

Bring Back the Babes and Bitches

Here's The Latest On School Closings Due To The "Don't Call It Swine" Flu

Hamilton Middle School, which was closed Thursday and Friday over swine flu concerns, has reopened, HISD and city officials said.Hamilton had been closed because an individual "had exposure to a known case" of the flu, Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathy Barton tells Hair Balls. "And subsequ ... More >>

Swine Flu Death In Mystery Hospital

Photo by The Pug FatherThe first case of a death from swine flu has been reported -- and it's here in Houston.Of course, it's not exactly a Houstonian who, say, was attending an elementary school in HISD. It was an infant, born in Mexico, who got sick in Brownsville and was transported to Houston an ... More >>

"Yappy Hour" Taken By Dad To Go Live On Farm Somewhere; City Promises We Can Visit When We're Older

No Dogs Allowed. So said the city health department last week when pets and their owners were turned away from a planned "Yappy Hour" at Beaver's on Decatur. The bar and restaurant had done a considerable amount of promoting for the new event, even sending out packets of dog biscuits to th ... More >>

Revenge Of The Swine (And The Obsessive Hand-Washers)

A swine flu pandemic isn't a "foregone conclusion," according to the new alert level issued yesterday by the World Health Organization. But things are starting to get a little scary. Cue the travel warnings. The United States said not to head south of the border. The European Union said stay a ... More >>

Yappy Hour at Beaver's Put Down

Photo courtesy of finnadat NO SOUP FOR YOU!No Dogs Allowed. So said the city health department last week when pets and their owners were turned away from a planned "Yappy Hour" at Beaver's on Decatur. The bar and restaurant had done a considerable amount of promoting for the new eve ... More >>

No Vets At BARC, And A Struggle To Get The Story Straight

Photo by bf_photosGetting a veterinarian to work weekends at the animal control facility for the nation's fourth-largest city is a real pain.Take Saturday. No vet showed up, even though, according to Health & Human spokesperson Kathy Barton, the city had arranged for a relief vet through a temp ... More >>

BARC Down To Its Last Vet

Photo by Daniel KramerVeterinarian David Rundell resigned today from the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, spokeswoman Kathy Barton confirmed. Nicole Sica at the Houston Examiner was the first on the story.  Rundell was suspended with pay three weeks ago for allegedly treating a sick d ... More >>

BARC's Firing Of Vet Doesn't Add Up

On Tuesday, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care veterinarian Gil Costas was fired for what Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Kathy Barton said was not having proper state certification.Barton said Costas did not have "site-specific" Texas Department of Public Safety controlled-su ... More >>

Much-Loved Veterinarian Fired by BARC

Photo by Daniel KramerGil Costas, a part-time veterinarian at Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, was fired today for lack of state-mandated certification, Houston Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Kathy Barton told Hair Balls. The news was originally broken by Nicole Sica, editor o ... More >>

BARC Sucks

The city's animal shelter just can't get its act together

New Health Department HQ Delayed

There's a Morning-After Drug to Prevent HIV Infection

The treatment is called post-exposure prophylaxis. So why do so few medical groups in Houston know about it?

Smoked Out

Will "self-enforcement" be enough for Houston's expanded smoking ban to work?

They Walk Among Us

A closer look at a spiffy downtown park reveals it's crawling with rats

Jailhouse Crock

UTMB's controversial proposed deal with the city dies

The Fido Solution

The ultimate answer to too many strays, cash-strapped budgets, animal shelter abuses and starving people

Catch of the Day

Annabelle's Diner says a neighbor keeps using the city to lay siege to the cafe

Side Order of Worms?

You like fresh salmon? So do marine parasites.

Hot Shots

There's a bull market on the meningitis vaccine. Are some doctors cashing in?

Take a Number

Does the health department's grading system ensure safe restaurants? Or is it just fuzzy math?

Going to the Dogs

Advocates are working to unleash a plan for a public park where pooches can play

Like a Dog in the Dirt

A jury helps a whistle-blower in his battle against city animal control unit abuses

Then There Were None

Health Department fires a final whistle blower

Grinding It Out

Downtown Dumping, Dog-Style

Is a businessman's problem a preview of the poop ahead?

Frontline Firing

A veteran inspector's dismissal raises questions about asking questions in the city's health department

Mission Impossible

Even without the low pay, high turnover and oppressive conditions, city health inspectors can't manage the load

Letters

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