An SPCA exec kills her dog – after leaving it alone in a hot car for four hours. A story even Floyd could shed a tear for.
But on that day, she arrived at work without realizing Louie was in the car. Several hours later, at about noon, she saw the dog when she went out for lunch.
She took her pet inside to the SPCA clinic and then to an emergency veterinary hospital, where he later died of kidney failure.
The National Weather Service says the temperature had reached 91 degrees by noon that day.
The board of the SPCA says it still supports Starr, who has been CEO since 1997 and does not plan to resign. It was unclear whether she would be charged.
Used to be, if you did something so inherently stupid you weren’t even given the option of resigning, you were already fired by that point.
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I think she should get whatever punishment she’s been dishing out all these years. What this should show her is that ANYONE can make a really horrible mistake.
Right Tracy. I also think she should lose her job. This brings shame and embarrassment on her employer. Even though it was obviously a mistake, mistakes have consequences too. If I were her I would have resigned without even having to be asked to disassociate the SPCA from my mistake. CEOs, CFOs, Executives, etc. need to be personally accountable for their actions and how they impact the companies they work for.
I have to admit, seeing as how agressive the SPCA is I am surprised she did not resign. And I agree with Rufus completely.
The right thing to do is resign. If it truly is a horrible accident, the board of directors (or whomever is the boss) can decline to accept it. If anything, the refusal to resign, to admit culpability and responsibility, should be the reason to fire her.
Since someone who accidentally left their child in a car would get about 2-4 years in prison — I feel she should get 10 years and never be allowed to work again.
If she was the manager at the local Revco, I could care less if she got fired or not. But given she would most likely look for jail time for anyone else in this situation, the least she can do is quit and show some responsibility to the cause she’s so duly dedicated.
And judging by at least one local case, if you left your kid in the car you probably won’t get much.
She should be fired. The fact that animal cruelty laws are in place and her organization enforces them should be noted. What a dumb b*tch. Was her dog silent? Was he invisible? How does one forget a kid or a dog in a car. I go into the Starbucks to get coffee and I crack windows even when its cold outside if Buford is in the back. I am never gone for more than 2 minutes but in no way would I ever forget him in the car. How does one get so involved in onesself that one forgets a kid or a dog in a car? Who put him in her car? She did…right? FIRE HER!
Stephanie,
As someone, who very briefly, forgot he had left his newborn son in a car I can understand how this could happen. I have one of those absent-minded professor type minds that’s fantastic at reciting, verbatim, a complex fact I heard once, two decades earlier, but can easily forget the obvious stuff, like what side of the road we drive on in the States. I once forgot my own Birthday. Granted, I can’t imagine sealing a kid or pet in a locked automobile for any length of time, but I can understand how non-malicious folks can make that mistake. It’s hard to explain when you don’t have this type of mind, but even things I genuinely, sincerely care about can “fall” out of it. One of my kids inherited the same brain and it’s fascinating for me to observe as an on-looker. I understand my mother’s frustration now. I can very much relate to the Fred MacMurray character in “The Absent Minded Professor.” One of my very best friends is a very responsible Police Lieutenant and Mrs. Firefly assigned him the task of keeping me from being distracted so I’d get to the church on our wedding day.
However, this woman accepted a responsibility as CEO of the organization (and is likely handsomely rewarded for holding the position) and her action conflicts with the very nature of that role. She needs to accept responsibility for her mistake. This is similar to why I blog under a pseudonym (my real name is -Mike! T. Firefly). Although I personally stand by all I write here I don’t want anyone to associate my opinions with those of my company.
I don’t but it. Sorry, I don’t. You don’t forget your kids or pets in a car for a moment. If she put him in the car then she knew he was in there. How the hell does she forget her dog? A four year old kid for that matter? She took responsibility…awesome. Do we allow her some sort of variation of the Mark Sanford defense? No. If she was investigating this she would be howling for the persons head you know it. What is good for the rest of us is good for her.
I think there’s a place for stephanie in the wide world of prison wrangling.
Vegas prosecutes parents who leave their kids in cars. Understandable from the car-jacking possiblities as well as the heat factor. With an ambient temp. around 110 on any summer day, it’s quite possible for the temp. inside the car to reach 160+.
FIRE THE BITCH!!!
I think she should serve 2-4 dog years in an animal shelter.
I feel sorry for the dog.
I bet she’s an Eagles fan.