This woman is a POS but thats a horrible way for a dog to die.


A dog belonging to Robin Starr, chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA, died last week after being left alone for about four hours in her car.

This morning, Starr and her husband, Ed, cried while recounting the story of what happened last Wednesday morning in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the SPCA's offices.

Ed Starr said that last Wednesday, as his wife prepared for work, he put the couple's 16-year-old dog into her Volvo station wagon. She often took the dog -- a deaf and blind mutt named Louie -- to work with her, according to the couple. He was her favorite dog, she said.

Robin Starr arrived at work about 8 a.m. without realizing that the dog was in the car, they said. Ed Starr said he forgot to tell her Louie was in her car.

"I just forgot . . . and didn’t think about it until I got this frantic phone call from Robin. I knew immediately what I had done," he said today.

About noon, Robin Starr went to her car to go get lunch, and that's when she noticed Louie in the car. She took the dog inside to the SPCA clinic, then to an emergency veterinary clinic in Carytown. The dog died about midnight of kidney failure, the Starrs said.

“At 16, he just laid down where you put him and didn’t make a peep,” she said. “He never made a peep in the car; he’d just lay there in the back.”

According to the National Weather Service, last Wednesday's temperature in Richmond was 79 degrees at 8 a.m. and had reached 91 by noon.

Tamsen Kingry, the SPCA's chief operating officer, said this morning that "the SPCA board of directors does not waiver in its support" of Robin Starr. She has been CEO of the Richmond SPCA since 1997. Starr said she does not plan to resign.

Robin Starr has been an outspoken critic of Michael Vick and his role in a Virginia dogfighting operation, and of several local residents who were charged with animal neglect that led to animal deaths.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/loc...-103602/288398/

What a goddamn dumbshit. An animal control officer down here in Fla. has done the same and was prosecuted, as have several canine policemen. Horrible way to die for sure.

Well, there is one, very dim, bright spot in this.

At least they weren't trappers.

yep...

This woman has pushed for people to be prosecuted beyond what is reasonable. She should feel what its like to be treated the same way though its doubtful that would return the brain cells she's missing.

Can you site some specific cases this woman has pushed for beyond what is reasonable? Or is this just another irrational ARA blanket statement?

Can't I just go off "feelings" like you do? LMAO!!

You're right most ARs are irrational not to mention shallow, corrupt human beings. This POS has pushed for a lot of anti-animal and anti-pet legislation and has lied to do it. One of her more notable exploits is lying to lawmakers to get another anti-pet law (anti-tethering) passed. ARs like her use the law as a step to reach their ultimate goal of no more pets.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Richmond, Va., says it’s a deal-breaker there, too, “But we know that dogs are relatively easy to come by,” says Robin Starr, executive director. “And if the person doesn’t get it from us, he’ll get one somewhere, and that dog will live on a chain. So we try to educate those people. We don’t merely say no, we explain the reasons and offer to help them merge the dog with the family and figure out reasonable containment methods.”

Sometimes the teaching moment convinces them, but not always, Starr says. “Some people just aren’t interested.”


Yeah she sounds like an irrational lying AR fanatic.

The thing is, this sounds like a shitty mistake by her husband. However I would guarantee you that this woman would push for prosecuting any of us in the exact same scenario.

I don't think so. There have been so many people who've left their animals (and children) in cars and rarely is anyone blamed or prosecuted. I do think it might be illegal in some states however. Here print a few of these out and keep them in your glove box should you need it.


http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/pets/dog..._cars_flyer.pdf

"We don't merely say no." lmao She's a liar. A friend of mine knows this POS and no he doesn't tie out his dogs. He does have a lot more respect for people and their animals than she does.

this story has hit the fan all across VA, the explanation smells like rotten fish , one article states the husband put the dog in the cargo area....wtf...there's a "cargo" area in a Volvo??....or does he mean "trunk".

she saw the dog in the car when she went for lunch but didn't see the dog when she left for work that morning...what was
different about the car in a span of four hours, if he was in a "cargo' area how could she have seen him at lunchtime.

one area blog where former workers posted comments stated in one instance an elderly man who had a stroke couldn't take good care of his dogs, one died and she wanted him prosecuted and jailed for animal cruelty, there were other stories told of her zealousness to prosecute anyone she felt committed animal cruelty, now she's looking for sympathy and support.

here's an article where they tried to cover up the story:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/col...-220405/289141/

Her deaf and blind cocker spaniel/poodle mix, Louie, died Aug. 19 after being left in Starr's Volvo for four hours. Ed Starr said he put the dog in his wife's car before she drove to work but forgot to tell her.

Then this turn of events shifted from tragic to troublesome.

Starr, a lawyer and an outspoken advocate, viewed Louie's death as private matter. She didn't disclose it until a week later, after the Richmond Times-Dispatch received a tip. Even then, the SPCA asked a Times-Dispatch reporter not to write a story.

Later in the day Wednesday, a few hours after the story broke, the Richmond SPCA Web site described Louie's death as "a personal tragedy" for Starr. But it soon became national news, amid calls for Starr's resignation and support from people who say she's a valuable asset to the SPCA.

In the aftermath, I'm left with the nagging feeling that Starr never intended for anyone outside the SPCA family to find out what happened to Louie.

Late yesterday, Richmond's Animal Care and Control Division announced that it found no willful intent in the dog's death. The Richmond commonwealth attorney's office appears unlikely to prosecute the case for similar reasons.

Meanwhile, local attorney Steven D. Benjamin, who happens to be counsel for the Virginia Senate Courts of Justice committee, is arguing -- apparently in vain -- that the relevant misdemeanor animal statutes applicable to this case do not require willful intent and don't let people off the hook for accidents or negligence.

Legally, Starr may be home free. But what does that say about the rest of us?


whether willful or neglect she should still have to face an investigation and possible misdeameanor charges...it now sets a precedence anyone who leaves a dog in a hot car to die can simply point to her case as an example. The woman should be fired if she doesn't have the decency to resign on her own.

I'm guessing station wagon... The rear is certianly a cargo area, lacking seats, and has plenty of windows.



But whatever. I really try hard not to revel in the misfortune of others, especially that which seems to me to be a true accident. And while I'm sorry for the loss of what really seems to be another's dear pet, the circumstances are so ironicly entertaining I can't help but laugh. My dearest wish is that a cohort hounds her as zealously as she would have pursued anyone in a situation similar to her own.

I bet that being on the receiving end of the sort of witch hunt and character assassination and endless litigation that I'm led to believe she administered isn't much fun. My dearest wish is that she gets as good as she ever gave and no more.

denni



It probably WAS animal cruelty. People with strokes aren't always nor necessarily totally incapacitated. The dog who died probably suffered more than he did.





Cover up story? How? It is a private matter for God's sake. What if someone's animal suffers an accident it's supposed to be publicized? Do all public figures let us know what happens to their goldfish, birds, cats? How many people forget their animals in cars and that's that? Is it supposed to be reported when someone's pet has an accident? Gets hit by a car? Spun to death in a dryer? Eaten by a snake?





Did she break the law here? People leave children in their car down here all the time and not all are prosecuted unless drugs or some willful negligence is proven. Keep in mind I think what they did SUCKED how can you forget a dog is in the car?




Hrmph.





Pray tell.




It was investigated. Duh.




This statement is too lame to even address.


As far as the cargo question, Volvo makes SUV's too.

She would be oblivious to the lesson but she deserves even worse for what she's done to other people on top of it. If she stayed in place she'd have little credibility and as such could do less harm to animal owners.



Her type never does.

rpedog


I think you're wrong. She just paid her dues. Her guilt must be eating her alive.

She hasn't paid her dues by a long shot. She's wronged a lot of people.

Public figures advancing a specific cause and earning a 6 figure dollar salary to lead by example in that effort, especially if it is coming from donations, has an obligation to report to their donor base and the community any acts, circumstances or incidents whether personal or professional that is contrary and/or incompatible with the overall mission and agenda of the organization. This woman is not just an average Jane or low-level worker who made a tragic mistake.

No one is claiming the dog’s death was intentional, it was a careless, irresponsible act by her husband (if that is what really happened) and because of her position and stature she should accept full responsibility rather than the husband and not make it look like a coverup to protect her reputation and her job rather than the truth, it raises concerns and suspicions about the transparency and integrity of the organization and leaves one to question, what else has happened under this woman’s watch that hasn’t been disclosed or reported.

her public relations image and credibility is tainted and suspect, people will always think and wonder what really happened and why was there an attempt to keep it a 'private matter' given who she is in the field of animal welfare and advocacy.

denni

And this 'specific cause' has what to do with an unintentional accident?

denni

Can you post your source? I cannot find stats to back that up.


denni

Effort meaning, be doubly sure your husband or S.O. doesn't do something really shitty and stupid? I'd like to see that effort achieved myself. Doesn't seem logical however.


denni


What B.S. denni. This "act" does not fall under crime, or willful neglect and/or intentional harm/abuse. And ultimately has nothing to do overall agenda, mission nor donations.


denni

No she's not an average Jane who made a tragic mistake. In fact she made no mistake at all. Her husband did but she's the fall guy from anti AR's now.



denni

Case closed.

denni

Huh? I don't know what coverup you're talkign about unless you mean she didn't report it for a week? And probably never would have if the "leak" hadn't gone out? If this dog was asleep in the driveway and she herself accidentally ran it over (this happens quite a lot by the way), she should have called the VA Times?


denni

Bullshit. Again, she committed no cover up she kept it a private family matter, which it was. And animal welfare and advocacy has nothing to do with this accident. Unless you can prove she knew the animal was inside the vehicle and decided to leave it there as it would save her $350 bucks to have euth'd & cremated, your argument is moot.

denni

I see nothing in that article about a cover up.

The H$U$ is trying to spin it. They steal people's dogs on trumped up charges but they defend their own. Hypocrisy is one of the hallmarks of the AR industry.