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Help Us Save Our Vet!
Dr. Galvin & The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio
Introduction
After nearly ten years of fighting a legal battle for his Veterinary License, Dr. Galvin at the Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio is facing the Veterinary Board taking his license and closing down one of California's most unique veterinary hospitals, and taking away one of California's most beloved and respected Veterinarians. Despite a victory at the Superior Court of California where the highly respected Judge Lynn Duryee ruled in Dr. Galvin's favor, he has been under the constant stress of a legal battle which has been emotionally and financially draining.
Dr. Galvin's practice at the Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio has been open for nearly 40 years, with hundreds of dedicated loyal clients. The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio is a unique place of healing, full of unique art hand made by Dr. Galvin. Visiting his office is like stepping out of our every day world and finding a place where love and medicine are brought together to create a healing oasis for pets and owners alike.
Despite thousands of letters, phone calls, petitions and requests to the Veterinary Board, the Governor of California, the Attorney General, council members and the court systems, The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio is currently set to be closed down on November 6th, 2009.
Allegations of animal abuse at Dr. Galvin's hospital started with a disgruntled employee who was fired and denied future employment with Dr. Galvin due to poor performance, and this original act of spite has spurred a witch hunt against a man who never deserved this attack for all of his dedication and hard work on behalf of his clients and their pets.
Despite the testimonies, experiences and observations of thousands of clients, past and present, including at least 18 employees who testified on Dr. Galvin's behalf in person or by submission of letters, the Veterinary Board still pursues the case against Dr. Galvin.
The Case Against Dr. Galvin
Dr. Galvin has been charged with several counts of Animal Abuse and Professional Negligence. These allegations were brought up by his former employee, who encouraged other employees to testify against Dr. Galvin. You can read a more complete account of the case at Fear Not Law: Galvin vs. Veterinary Medical Board. From reading this article, as well as other unfavorable news articles, it would seem the case against Dr. Galvin is quite solid. However, there are some glaring problems in the case presented against Dr. Galvin.
- Why were the cruelty complaints made, in some cases, six years after an employee had stopped working for Dr. Galvin? If there really was cruelty going on at Dr. Galvin's hospital, it doesn't seem that the previous employees would have waited for six years until their conscience caught up with them and they felt they had to speak out. There is supposition that the original employee who brought the case against Dr. Galvin promised financial gain to past employees if they provided false testimony about his actions.
- The original woman who brought the case against Dr. Galvin has been pursing a personal vendetta against Dr. Galvin. In an unsolicited letter, this woman's brother wrote to Dr. Galvin apologizing for his sister's actions, and citing that she had a history of manipulating elderly people for financial gain. Her brother stated that his sister had misled other elderly people as a way of getting herself written into their wills, and said "If I had to describe my sister in a single word, it would be Evil". Why is this the testimony that the Veterinary Board is using to close down Dr. Galvin's operations?
- Dr. Galvin originally won this case based on the ruling of Judge Lynn Duryee, but the Veterinary Medical Board re-opened the case on the technicality that Judge Duryee did not properly submit her ruling in writing, and had absolved him verbally of the charges and ruled in his favor. Why, if Dr. Galvin was to have won his case, must he continue to defend himself because of an outside mistake?
- It is often cited that Dr. Galvin had 'admitted' to several counts of Animal Cruelty, and this is a fact often presented by the Veterinary Board. However, many of the instances of cruelty they cite him for are recognized as acceptable practices that were confirmed in court by Dr. Ann Lesch-Hollis, DVM, who spoke on standard practice for Veterinarians. In this statement, Dr. Lesch-Hollis stated "With a very dangerous dog, one can put a slip-leash around its neck, thread the leash through the crack between a door and the door frame on the hinged side, and pull the dog’s nose up to the crack, thereby immobilizing the dog’s head and preventing it from being able to bite." This would, in blunt terms, be choking the dog if it pulled back from the door, and this is a standard method of restraining an aggressive animal as cited by Dr. Lesch-Hollis. In many points, they reference Dr. Galvin "choking" animals, including in an instance where he used a slip-leash on a dog and a fence to immobilize the dog's head in the same fashion stated as standard practice when used with a door. However, in the context of the case, they are leading people to believe that he was choking a dog instead of using an accepted method of restraint when dealing with a dangerously aggressive animal.
- Much of the language that the Veterinary Board has used throughout their case is misleading in both the language and the context. There are many references to choking animals, throwing animals, or other unacceptable practices. For example, we take the statement from the case: "Nikki Wallace testified that, in approximately December of 1997, Galvin trimmed the nails of a very sick Blue Fronted Amazon parrot before treating it. The trimming caused the nails to bleed. Galvin was rushing and the bird’s nails continued to bleed despite his hasty attempt to stop the bleeding with Quick Stop powder. The bird died later that day. Galvin acknowledged a policy of trimming the nails of sick birds prior to treating them to reduce the risk that a bird might scratch him. Dr. Lesch-Hollis testified that trimming the nails of a sick bird violates the standard of care because it causes bleeding and exacerbates stress."
This statement is very misleading (and has been reproduced here in it's entirety) about the standard practices of a Veterinarian. Birds do not bleed every time their nails are trimmed, so trimming the nails of a sick bird does not cause bleeding and stress. There always is a risk of hitting the quick on an animal's nail and drawing blood, which is also more common in animals whose nails are not routinely cared for (which causes the quick to grow further along the nail, increasing the risk of it being hit during a trim). This is so common with nail trims on animal's of any species that you will find Quick Stop Powder or Styptic Powder in every Veterinary Office, in every Pet Groomer's store, and in every pet store next to the nail trimmers. The statement makes it sound as if Dr. Galvin killed the bird by causing it to bleed from the nails, when in reality he did a nail trim prior to treatment on a very sick bird who did not survive treatment.
- The Veterinary Board has stated that the nearly thousand letters written by supporters and long time-clients of Dr. Galvin are not being considered in the case, as they are trying him with the evidence from the original case. However, they have also stated they are considering "ongoing practice" as part of his case. Why, if the ongoing practice of Dr. Galvin is being considered part of the case, is none of the other evidence, testimonials or letters of support being considered as well?
- Who is this case really hurting, and who is it benefitting? Dr. Galvin makes very little money from his practice, he is not a vet who lives in an expensive house or drives a nice car. Dr. Galvin lives on the same premises where he operates his Veterinary Office, charges people a very low rate for medical services for their pets, and still has to pay his operating expenses and staff. Dr. Galvin works for animals out of a love for the work, and because his clients need him. If Dr. Galvin loses his license, he will only be losing his right to practice Veterinary Medicine, but would not be barred from working with animals.
The loss of Dr. Galvin's license hurts his clients and the low-income people who rely on his services to care for their pets. One must wonder who the benefactor of this case is, if it's not the animals that the Veterinary Board is really protecting.
- If Dr. Galvin is such a concern for the pet community, why do so many of his clients still see him? Why, out of the 10,000 patients he sees every year, have there been such a small number of complaints against him? Any pet professional will see complaints during their career working with animals, wether they be legitimate concerns or misunderstandings with clients. What is the motivation for pursing the case against Dr. Galvin, for so many years and at such a high financial cost?
About Dr. Galvin and The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio
Dr. Galvin graduated from the UC Davis Veterinary School in the top 10% of his class, and received an internship to the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. After completing his internship, Dr. Galvin was offered a position among the teaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania, but declined a teaching position to enter the world of private practice.
Dr. Galvin was recruited by one of the first Veterinary Speciality Hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his time there, Dr. Galvin was elected the President of the San Francisco Veterinary Medical Association. His expertise and experience made him a sought after speaker at local, state and national veterinary conferences, and at UC Davis's Veterinary School. Dr. Galvin has been asked to write articles for magazines, journals and major veterinary tests. He has also been featured on a number of popular radio and television programs.
After opening his own practice at The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio, Dr. Galvin went on to found one of the Bay Area's best loved Veterinary Practices. His hospital is a work of art, all unique pieces of art made by Dr. Galvin himself. The hospital is decorated with his art woven with lines from his uplifting personal philosophy, and his upbeat ideal of "Enjoy tomorrow's past!" can be seen in each unique corner of his office.
The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio is equipped with an extensive reference library, as well as many unique pieces of equipment of Dr. Galvin's own design. The hospital is equipped with extensive back-up equipment and many features for the comfort of Dr. Galvin's patients, including specially designed perches and floor racks designed by Dr. Galvin for the comfort of his avian patients.
Dr. Galvin is one of the Bay Area's most experienced and most respected Avian and Exotics Veterinarians. Dr. Galvin donates time and services to many rescue groups, including our rescue, and is one of the Bay Area's only options for low-income owners to take their pets. Despite an extremely demanding work day, Dr. Galvin's prices reflect that he strives to make Veterinary Medicine affordable and accessible for all pet owners...not only the wealthy.
A Note from Lauren Paul, the Founder of North Star Rescue
In 2005, I opened a small animal rescue program called New Haven Small Animal Rescue, a small project to try and help some pet rodents that I thought were getting passed up in rescue programs and shelters largely geared towards cats and dogs. Talking to some other rescuers who ran their own small programs, I got the best tip I ever received: If you have a sick animal, go see Dr. Galvin!
I took in my first large case of nearly 30 hamsters who arrived sick and injured a few months after opening. I picked up the phone and called Dr. Galvin's office to ask if they would accept payments for the treatment of several hamsters who were injured, and rushed over within the same hour when they said they could see my hamsters right away.
I arrived at The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio with three hamsters I had named Morgan, Puffer and Captain. Captain had arrived with one hind leg stuck up against his rump and crusted with blood. Puffer was missing most of the hair on his back and was lethargic. Morgan was the worst of the group, a bite wound had claimed his right eye which was a blackened mess, and the infection had spread to the side of his face.
My first meeting with Dr. Galvin was like a breath of fresh air. After many experiences in my youth with vets who would advise me to buy a new pet because it "was cheaper than treating this one", I expected bad news for the three hamsters I had just taken in. I waited for him to tell me there was nothing could be done, and that these three little hamsters didn't have a shot. Instead, he assured me he would do everything he could to help them, and said I could call the next morning to see how they were doing. Since I was opening up a rescue, he assured me that the cost would be very reasonable and they were happy to take payments from me if I couldn't afford the sum all at once.
The next day I called Dr. Galvin's office to great news: The hamsters were fine and I could pick them up that day. I rushed over to The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio where I was led through the building to one of the consultation rooms. Dr. Galvin showed me each hamster in turn and talked about the services he had performed. Captain had an infected bite wound that had gone down to the bone, and had some dead tissue. He had removed the dead tissue and stitched his leg up, Captain was already walking on all four legs again. Next came Puffer, whose skin scraping had come up negative for parasites, and came home with a package of supplements and a topical spray to help his skin heal. Last came Morgan, and what a miracle it was to see this little hamster no longer wearing a mask of infection! Dr. Galvin said his eyelids had been destroyed by the infection, so he had carefully taken skin from his cheek and reconstructed an eyelid for him to heal over the socket, and repaired his face. This little hamster wound up healing with a permanent wink that grew back fur and looked otherwise perfect, and he lived a happy year and a half after his surgery.
The amount I paid for the lives of three hamsters to be saved by this fantastic vet wound up being less then I paid on the cages I had bought to house them in! I was thrilled, the hamsters were healed, and I started a long relationship with a vet that I trust to this day above all others.
My rescue grew up from the one-person venture I started in Novato to a network of foster homes all over the Bay Area, but one thing has never changed: We still work with Dr. Galvin, and trust him to take fantastic care of all of our rescued animals. I have personally been in Dr. Galvin's office hundreds of times, as have many of the rescue's volunteers, adopters, friends and family members. Never have I received a complaint of misconduct by Dr. Galvin, and every person I have referred to Dr. Galvin who has taken their pet there has always said what an amazing experience they had with him.
With the hundreds of animals that arrive at our rescue every year, we have branched out and used the veterinary services of many other fantastic vets. However, whenever it comes down to a difficult or delicate surgery, we always trust Dr. Galvin to save the lives of our rescued animals. Dr. Galvin has been able to perform surgeries and save animals that other vets had given no hope for. Our success rate for the animals Dr. Galvin performs surgery on far exceeds that of ANY other vet we have ever worked with, and we have lost less than ten animals out of nearly a thousand we have taken and referred in to him.
What Happens if the Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio Closes?
The loss of Dr. Galvin's Veterinary License would be not only a great injustice to a man who has dedicated so much of his life to the care and well being of animals, but it will impact so many of the pet owners who love and trust Dr. Galvin to care for their pets.
Dr. Galvin represents one of the Bay Area's few lower cost options in Veterinary Care, and in the notoriously expensive Marin County, Dr. Galvin assists many clients who are on limited or fixed income by providing veterinary care for their animals and accepting payments.
Dr. Galvin is one of the rare vets who not only sees Exotic animals, but specializes in their care. If Dr. Galvin is forced to stop practicing by the Veterinary Board, many exotic animals will lose their best chance at treatment from one of California's most talented vets.
Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Galvin, our rescue has been able to save the lives of hundreds of animals every year. If his practice should close, we are likely going to see the cost of medical care for the animals at our rescue more then quadruple in cost. This means our rescue program, which currently saves almost 500 animals every year, will have to scale back dramatically. Our rescue will also lose our most trusted vet for critical cases, as there are few vets who see exotics, and even fewer who specialize in the very delicate surgeries that Dr. Galvin has been able to perform to save the lives of so many of our rescued animals.
How can you help save The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio
Please help us save our vet and TAKE ACTION before it is too late to save Dr. Galvin!
You can donate to Dr. Galvin's legal defense fund through The Friends of Dr. Chuck Galvin at the address below. Please address checks to The Friends of Dr. Chuck Galvin so they can be dedicated to the legal defense fund, and do not mail them to The Veterinary Hospital of Ignacio (where they may be delayed).
The Friends of Chuck Galvin
c/o Lynnette Frary
1103 Second Street, Unit A
Novato, Ca. 94945
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Stories from North Star 