Dr. Joshua Winston, The Other Side of the Story
Posted on 2007 under News & Updates, Tail Waggin' Good |20 Jun
About a week ago I did a story on the vet who was accused of hitting a little chihuahua and dislodging its eye. Horrible, sad story! The saddest thing was to think that a vet who was entrusted with the health and care of animals could actually do something like this!
One of my commenters, Waystone, said that this story was unraveling, “looking more and more like the kind of nightmare all health care professionals spend their careers worried will happen - falling victim to an accusation that will cling to them regardless of whether it’s true or not.”
I honestly hope this is the case! To me abusers are the vilest, lowest form of life but for a vet to fall into this category is unconscionable! Now here’s ‘the other side of the story’ Please take the time to read the ‘whole’ story!
Read on for the ‘Real Story” as published on Craigslist
The following was received by representatives of the SCW Canine Companions Club from Diana Krause, who is a medical doctor (Human, not animal) who also is involved in the Cocker rescue program. We learned of Diana when *** went to her about the cocker spaniel the posse found about 3 days ago. She mentions that Dr Winston had delivered Bella about a year ago. What she did not mention was that the mother dog was herself a rescue dog and very hard to control. The following is offered for your consideration.
Subject: What really happened re Dr. Winston and Bella, the Chihuahua
I want the rescue community to know the whole story, the real story about
Josh Winston (JW) and Bella, the little Chihuahua, whom he delivered by
C-section about a year ago. I have spoken to him at length; as most of you
know, we have become great friends during the 8 years I have known him. Thisis his account to me, given Monday and every day since.Bella was dropped off at the office to be spayed. Upon his arrival, JW was
immediately told by his staff that she was there and was frantic in her
crate. His techs told him they did not wish to handle this dog, she was too
wild. Sherri, the groomer in his office, was called to assist in getting
Bella from her cage, because she had something of a relationship with Bella,
having trimmed her nails a few times. Sherri and JW approached her crate.When Sherri and JW went to see the dog, and she was screaming and snapping
and backed up against the back of the cage. He was talking to her quietly,
pretty doggie, pretty doggie, nice doggie, offering the back of his hand for
sniffing, eventually petting her on the head, scooting her toward the front
of the crate, lifted her with one hand under her belly, the other under her
butt and held her gently close to him. It was working and she was doing fine
… until he placed her on the table, where she once again began snapping,
flailing about, screaming and doing her best to bite.JW wanted to place a muzzle on her to give her injections so he could begin
anesthesia and get the surgery underway. Two techs, Jamie and Linda, were
helping him. Jamie is a new vet tech, only working about 8-9 months. They
had a soft tie muzzle, but the dog would not allow it, continuing to flail,
scream and try to bite. JW held the dog by the scruff of the neck, with his
fingers extending around her head, under her jaw, so she wouldn’t get hurt.
Meanwhile, she is still flailing and screaming and trying to bite, urine is
flying everywhere, feces flying everywhere … you all get the picture,
we’ve all seen that.NORMAL HUMANE RESTRAINT protocol is to hold the dog as JW was holding herwhile, with the fingers of the other hand fully extended and using the padsof those fingers, to gently and quickly tap the dog’s nose and/or foreheadto distract it away from it’s frenzy. You can also “flick” the dog
–gently, but enough to get it’s attention — on the nose. The goal here is
to give you a few seconds of stillness to quickly slip the muzzle on. After
giving her a couple of taps on the nose and forehead, JW did this flicking
maneuver once, and that was the one that worked. In this way, an oversized
muzzle was placed on her face.At that moment — this whole struggle took place in about “25 seconds” — he
and the techs saw that her eye had popped out of the socket and was on her
cheek. He quickly gave her the injection, had Linda clean the eye and
surrounding area; he intubated the doggie and while the anesthesia tubing –
already prepared for her intended spay — was attached, he called the owner.He told the owner exactly what happened and, because this was now a
different procedure than what the signed consent form was for, he asked and
obtained her permission to treat the eye. The owner told him to do whatever
he needed to, she had an appointment to keep somewhere. He promised to call
her when he was done. He replaced the eye, was able to get the lid sutured
closed over the globe, and knowing there was likely some swelling behind the
eye, called the specialty ophthalmology practice and asked to speak to
whichever eye vet was free.I did not recognize the name of the eye vet, so sorry, don’t recall it now,
but that Dr. advised JW that, in her opinion, the eye was fine since the
lids were able to be closed. “Fine” here meaning that the surgical
replacement was properly done, not that it was 100% certain that vision
would be restored; that’s a wait-and-see, once the eye is dislocated from
the socket.JW then noticed that Jamie, his newest and youngest tech, was nowhere to be
found. Linda told him she’d left the room because she was upset. He said I
don’t blame her, it’s an upsetting thing to see, even for an experienced
person. JW told me that Jamie is someone who is very sensitive (his words)
and that, for example, if a dog is brought in who was hit by a car, and the
dog’s in pain, and you touch the dog to examine it, and the dog screams …
then Jamie screams, too, cringes and runs out of the room.JW called the owner, advised her to take the doggie to an ophthalmology vet
specialist after she picked Bella up from his office that day. then he began
the rest of his office day.Jamie had in fact left to call the sheriff and alleged that JW hit the dog
repeatedly and dislodged it’s eye. Sheriff’s deputies came to the office and
that’s how JW learned about the complaint. Linda was interviewed by the
deputy and she described the tapping of the dog’s nose and head as well as
the flick on the nose. So, the sheriff’s deputies treated Linda’s statements
are corroborating Jamie’s.I think by now most of you have done some research and have learned that
having the eye globe pop put of it’s socket is an unfortunate, but not rare,
occurrence in the setting of normal humane restraint protocols of hysterical
dogs. It is more common in breeds with bulging eyes, such as ShihTzus,
Llasas and Pugs, but it CAN happen to any dog, whose blood pressure rises
high enough. It is well described in canine ophthalmic literature. In other
words, JW did nothing wrong!Now to address the alleged $80 Rabies shot not given to a Mastiff, but
charged to the owner; he doesn’t have any clue what that’s about, doesn’t
remember the dog, the incident, nothing about that story is familiar to him.But I know and most of you know that sometimes, a dog just will not allow an
injection and in those cases, you DO waste the vaccine down the drain.
That’s what JW does and then he advise the owner that the vaccine was NOT
given, that their pet is at this point unvaccinated and to retry another
day. The owner is never charged. His best guess is that the owner was
charged $80 for some service that was given that the owner didn’t
understand. Or, that the front desk made an error of some sort. He does not
know of any vaccine that is set at $80.Jamie and another employee, one of her friends, no longer work there. He did
not even fire them, would not have, but they just abandoned their jobs. He
is now in dire need of not only our support — our very vocal support — but
he also a couple of office employees. Trained or not, he at least needs
someone to answer the phones.If you or anyone you know can work for him for a few weeks, please do! He
cannot operate his practice without adequate help.I urge all of you who know him to recall all he has done for us and stand
behind him; let him and the media know you support him.As a result of this brouhaha, he is now suffering incredible grief, fear and
worry that his reputation, his practice and his livelihood will be forever
ruined. This is so wrong!Yesterday, I spoke to Carey Pena from Channel three news; she has told me
that she is planning to interview JW on camera at his office on Thursday AM.
She would like me to say words of support and faith which I of course will
do. As many of you as can make and would like to be there are welcome, too
and Carey would like me to give her an approximate head count. Please come
stand with him and email me to let me know you’ll be there; Carey and other
media will want to know which rescues will have representatives there. I
know those of you who know him are 1000% behind him.Thank you all.
From this account it sounds like Dr. Winston did everything he possibly could, in a correct and humane manner. I hope the media gives equal time to this side of the story and that all the facts come out!
If you appreciate my
work, why don't you buy my dog a bone? :)
It is only through the kind and generous donations of those who care that I can continue my work, raise awareness and be a voice for those who have no voice of their own. You'll also receive a lovely gift as a token of my appreciation
"Responsible Dog Ownership - Essential Tips for Every Dog Lover"
Email This Post
Please share this so everyone knows!!
I
am passionate when it comes to my canine companions as well as dogs
everywhere. It is my mission to raise awareness of any issues that affect
them, from their health, food and nutrition and training to their
welfare. Canine advocacy is something that everyone who cares about dogs
needs to be aware of and we all need to share that and raise our voice for
those who cannot speak for themselves.
by For The Love of the Dog » Vet Arrested for Punching 5lb Dog, on June 20 2007 @ 11:18 am
[...] 6/20/07 - Please be sure to take a look at the update on this story - Dr Joshua Winston - the Other Side of the Story. Hopefully this side will get as much play in the media as the original [...]
by Waystone, on June 29 2007 @ 2:10 pm
Deanna,
How wonderful to log in and see your follow-up post. It’s great to see that the passion folks have for protecting their furred families is matched by thoroughness - and it is especially welcome here because it helps to restore my own faith in the online community after some pretty unsettling nastiness that got tossed my way after I posted a similar comment on a different pet-news site. Mind you, sticks and stones and all that… but still, it takes some getting used to
Keep up the awesome work! It’s great to know there’s a site I can come to - and trust - for news.
-WS.
by Admin, on June 29 2007 @ 2:33 pm
Waystone,
I believe every side deserves their say, it’s only fair. I try to be as open-minded as I possibly can. Dr. Winston got a very thorough beating in the media and from the start I was so impressed by the incredibly staunch supporters he had. To me that said right there that there was more to the story. I’m sorry that everyone can’t be reasonably open-minded enough to listen. I don’t always expect everyone to agree with what I say but I do believe that I have the right to say it as long as I try to convey my points in an intelligent and straight forward manner and have something to back up what I say and I feel everyone should adhere to that philosophy.
Thanks so much for your comment and I hope to hear from you again. Your comments and opinions are always welcomed here!
Kindest regards,
Deanna
by Denise, on July 2 2007 @ 6:10 pm
I worked with Dr. Winston for 5 years when he practiced in NY. I did not at the time I read the story believed that those were the true facts. I do believe Dr. Winston’s account of what happened. As a liscensed veterinary technician for 19 years and working in various animal hospitals for 22 years, it is amazing what an animal can do to itself when it gets stressed. I discovered this article because a drug rep told me that Dr. Winston was back in NY. I was trying to find out if the info was true because I would have gone back to work for him. I still would work for him if he ever came back to NY. Dr. Winston is not only a wonderful vtereinarian, he was a joy and wonderful to work for. I wish Dr. Winston the best of luck in this case and hope he is cleared publicly, as he was accused.
Denise LVT, Long IsLand NY
by Donna, on September 21 2007 @ 5:58 pm
I would like to give all of you a follow up on this. We went to Dr. Winston’s hearing before the AZ Executive State Board — they dismissed ALL charges against Dr. Winston without violation. Within the testemonies of all parties involved - there were many things uncovered. One — Linda was tormenting the dog with a rabies pole prior to Dr. Winston taking Bella out of the cage prior to surgery. He took Bella out of the cage without incident - though she was scared - she was fine. It was when Linda appeared in front of her that she went nuts. Sr. Winston - holding the dog properly - so she would not get injured - was moving with her. Because of the pressure building up behind the eye - the eye prolapsed. (somewhat similiar to us throwing up and breaking a blood vessel) - THROUGH FORESNSIC EVIDENCE - it was varified that she WAS NOT HARMED like these girls are saying. They stated that he hit Bella 5 to 6 times on the side of the face. Folks - I have the police reports - along with - not one - but 3 vets who stated their was NO BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO BELLA - if Dr. Winston would have hit this dog like these girls are saying - SHE WOULD BE DEAD! All three vets - 2 by the way are board certified opthomologists - even stated this was unfortunate - but not even a slightest muscle tear / bruise was found behind the orbital - and the muscle attached. In reality - I feel - my opinion for what its worth - that Bella would have been fine if Linda did not hurt and antagonize this dog prior to surgery. None the less - forensicly - there is NO DAMAGE to Bella - and she has gained 100% eye sight and full recovery. My question to all of you is this?? Why isn’t Linda being arrested for animal cruelty?? Why aren’t these 4 girls being held accountable for their actions in all of this??? I hope and pray that Bella’s mom reads or hears about this - and understands and knows this was an unfortunate incident - and that Linda and the other girls owe her an apology for putting her through all of this.
As far as the vaccine story goes - these 4 girls have one saying he “shot it in the air” - “shot it in the trash” - “shot id down the sink” — it has gone from one vaccine to 3 vaccines - WHICH IS IT GIRLS?? When one lies - its hard to keep up with their own stories — anyhow - Arlene - the ex office manager - wrote a letter to the AZ State Board and states that one of the girls who still work for Dr. Winston - was holding this mastiff - NOT SO FOLKS! She wasn’t even in the building when this dog came in — as a matter of fact - this particular dog - all of the girls are afraid of - so - you piece together the lies that were told - and this man’s reputation ran through the mud of the media!! UNFAIR - AND I AM OUTRAGED that these girls are getting away with their part in all of this. They are malice and were out to “get him” as the husband of one stated to this office…..
Dr. Winston is a fair - kind - wonderful man - and I have NEVER seen him loose his temper with any animal he takes care of!!
YOU BE THE JUDGE - BUT I ASSURE YOU — none of what was reported is true!
by Waystone, on September 21 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Donna,
Wonderful news!
One thing, though… might I suggest we take a page out of Winston’s book - he seems willing to take the simpler road and let the assistants move on, in which case, so should we.
The absolute best thing we can do to help this all come to a good conclusion is to post pleasant, straightforward updates to lingering ‘horrible vet’ links, preferably with a link to an update by a news outlet (I’m told there’s one in the Wester, and I’ll try to track it down). Thank goodness we have a judicial system that still knows how to cut through media coverage and look for facts.
Whew…
-WS.
by Admin, on September 21 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Donna, thank you so much for posting this, I have been looking for any kind of updates but it seems the media didn’t do quite as well covering his vindication as they were at covering the accusations!
And Waystone, thanks for stopping by, you’ve said this from the beginning.
I really am very happy to see this!
by Virginia Greenwood-Warner, on April 10 2008 @ 8:57 am
It is quite normal for vets to cover for each other. Not necessarily was this the case here but do bear that in mind. I only have one thing to add and that is - how on this earth could that small animal not be restrained more easily. The rabies pole is something else and Linda should obviously be fired. I do not see why the girls would lie but then it’s just impossible to believe that this tiny dog could have her herself to this extent.
by Donna, on April 10 2008 @ 11:27 am
Virginia - to say that the vet board covers for each other is not so. The AZ Vet board holds very high standards and does not take issues lightly - not to mention it is not only comprised of vets - there are lay people on this board as well. They came to the conclusion they did because THERE WAS NO FORENSIC EVIDENCE to support these alligations. The board read all of the documents pertaining to this case - there WAS NO damage to this dog that would support such a beating. As a matter of fact - one vet said that if Bella was hit the way these girls are portraying - her eye would have done quite the opposite - it would have “sunk in” not proptose out. There is NO swelling of the face, no broken jaw, no concusion, no broken teeth etc… that would have come if someone hit a small dog like this 6 or 7 times. So, on that note - once again, this board looked at all the evidence - putting aside everyone’s side of what they saw — there is NO FORENSIC EVIDENCE to support such abuse…. hope this helps a little more Virginia — thanks for your comment.
by Denise, on April 10 2008 @ 1:23 pm
Virginia- You obviously have never worked with animals. If you did you would know how difficult it is to restrain “that small animal”, without you or the animal getting hurt. As a licensed tech for 20 years , I have seen similar injuries that occurred to this dog with a lot less handling. Too many people are under assumption that people who work in an animal hospital are so lucky, because they get to play with the animals all day. There is a lot more to it. When an animal gets scared or angry they can get very aggressive, and more often than not a staff member ends up get bit, scratched or hurt before they animals do. A 5 lb dog that got “punched” 5 times by a grown man would have extensive injuries, fractures, or could have even died. So there goes your theory about vets covering for each other.