Subject: Veterinary Medicine

• Your Animals Are Probably Bitching About Ike, Too

  September 22, 2008

• Bungle in the Jungle

  Beneath the pretty facade of the Houston Zoo lies a world where animals, and their keepers, are being shortchanged

  November 25, 1999

• BARC's Head Vet Wasn't Just Reprimanded Once

  No doubt many of Houston's animal-advocacy community are up in arms over this morning's Chron story on BARC's head vet, Eunice Ohashiegbula-Iwunze, who had her license suspended in New Jersey.But we at Hair Balls were a little more understanding - really, who hasn't accidentally killed people's dogs on three separate occasions? God - why should gross incompetence be a barrier to a primo spot in the animal shelter of the nation's fourth largest city? Look - BARC hired Jackie Merchant, a dude who

  January 13, 2009

• Beastly Behavior

  August 22, 1996

• 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 of the animal-welfare blog Poocini and a writer for the Houston Animal News Examiner. "The official reason is that his services were no longer needed," Barton told Hair Balls, "but...we also determi

  February 3, 2009

• 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 dog with Valium he brought into facility. Rundell, who animal welfare activists have complained about for years, operated without proper state registration for most of his time at BARC."We have posted

  February 25, 2009

• All Good Dogs Go to Heaven

  December 17, 1998

• News of the Weird

  March 9, 2000

• Strange Fruit

  September 21, 2000

• Best Veterinarian

  September 21, 2000

• BARC Sucks

  January 29, 2009

• Jake Johannsen

  A Letterman favorite drops into The Improv

  December 18, 2008

• Country Time

  Horsing around at a feed store happy hour

  November 2, 2006

• Horse Flesh

  Texas struggles with what to do with its overabundance of Equus caballus, while Europeans wait with open mouths

  April 13, 2006

• Vanity Plates

  The perfect gift for the pet that has -- ahem -- almost everything

  October 30, 2003

• Kitty Litter

  Toyya Braskey lives with 100 cats. They are her life. Now the city says they have to go.

  July 3, 2003

• In the Doghouse

  An animal typically has three days before he leaves the city pound, dead or alive. What happens during that time continues to cause concern.

  November 7, 2002

• Best Whistle-Blower

  Sam Levingston

  September 26, 2002

• Best Pet Pharmacy

  BCP Veterinary Pharmacy

  September 20, 2001

• Blaming the Barn Door

  A new report rips into claims that racehorse Alydar's wounds were self-inflicted

  July 13, 2000

• Cloning for Cash

  A&M's pet project spawns a company to mix DNA with possible IPOs

  April 20, 2000

• Out at the Zoo

  Embattled director Olson departs as signs of reform arrive

  March 16, 2000

• An Interview With The New Head Of BARC: This Time, Things Really, Really Will be Fixed. Really

  Photo by Craig MalisowAs BARC's new bureau chief, Ray Sim has his work cut out for him. He now heads an organization that has historically resisted change and ostracized volunteers who have made claims of cruel conditions, with the full support of an administration and city council that believes the best way to deal with things is via bargain-basement lip service. But Sim brings some experience to the table. Most recently, he was the director of Broward County's Animal Care & Regulation. His

  May 22, 2009

• More BARC News: The Hammer Comes Down On Two Vets

  Photo by maarjaara The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners has fined BARC Chief Veterinarian Eunice Ohashiegbula and former BARC vet David Rundell for violating U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Texas Veterinary Licensing Act requirements. In Texas, veterinarians who dispense controlled substances must be registered with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Board found that Ohashiegbula allowed Rundell to dispense controlled substances without DPS registration, ther

  June 22, 2009

• A Q&A With The Man Who Oversees BARC Leaves More Q's Than A's

  Photo by mary_thompsonWhen it comes to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, Stephen Williams is a man who does not like to dwell on the past. As the director of Houston's Department of Health and Human Services, he said in an interview Monday that while he was aware of years of criticism of BARC, the thing to really focus on are the recent and ongoing improvements. Chief among these is the new policy of vaccinating animals in the field, before they are even brought to the shelter. Williams

  June 30, 2009

• Complain About BARC, Find Yourself Charged With A Crime

  Photo by bf_photos The Harris County District Attorney's Office has charged a BARC volunteer for filing a false police report regarding animal abuse he said he heard while at the city's animal control facility. Shelby Kibodeaux was charged July 1 with the class B misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of 180 days in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. After speaking with Kibodeaux this week, and being blown off by just about everyone else, Hair Balls's articulate, cogent and measu

  July 23, 2009

• 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 Abiga Arredondo. Ohashiegbula-Iwunze had recently been demoted from the chief veterinarian position. She was fined $500 by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in June for violating U

  August 6, 2009

• 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 Costas accused fellow BARC vet David Rundell of operating without a controlled-substances registration. Costas also complained that Rundell's superior, former Chief Veterinarian Eunice Ohashiegbula-Iwunze,

  August 31, 2009

• City Is Trying To Scare Up BARC Funds By Hassling Veterinarians, One Says

  Photo by riquard​In a move to raise revenue for a new adoption center, the City of Houston is ordering veterinarians to provide clients' names and their pets' licensing information. According to a September 28 letter from Administrative and Regulatory Affairs Director Alfred Moran to Houston vets, those who don't comply are subject to a fine of up to $500, plus additional fines for each subsequent day of non-compliance.Although Moran's letter states that "your compliance wi

  October 15, 2009