Dog Had To Be Euthanized After 7 Days At Deplorable Veterinary Hospital

Published: June 26, 2021 at 09:25 AM Author: PENNY EIMS

Taylor, Texas – A Texas veterinarian is facing a charge of animal cruelty after a dog had to be euthanized following a seven-day boarding at her animal hospital. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office identifies the owner of the Wellness Veterinary Hospital as Dr. Dana R. Boehm.

The dog who suffered and died is a five-year-old bulldog named Jax, who went into the veterinary hospital as a healthy dog and emerged a week later covered in urine and unable to walk.

Please sign the petition today to help us get the maximum sentence for Dr. Boehm and the revocation of her veterinary license!

Before Jax was left at the Wellness Veterinary Hospital on March 13, he was a healthy, uninjured dog. Investigators with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office were able to confirm this by watching surveillance video taken at Jax’s home on the same day; the footage revealed a healthy, mobile dog.

By the time that Jax’s owners picked him up on March 20, he was in dismal condition, unable to walk and covered in wounds and urine. The sheriff’s office detailed the dog’s injuries in a report:

• Four holes in the dog’s hind leg and two holes the size of a quarter between the dog’s foot and hip.
• Jax’s skin was noted as completely missing in some areas and exposing either bone, ligaments and or tendons.
• A hole was observed on the dog’s leg about the size of a dime.
• Photos showed what appeared to be another hind limb with a hole the size of a quarter in it and other injuries.

When detectives investigated the veterinary hospital, they found troubling conditions, including:

• Unclean, unhealthy conditions in the areas Jax would have been kept and had access.
• Strong, foul odors, feces, urine puddles, urine-soaked clothing, uncapped used syringes, and loose medications.
• Animals being kenneled and boarded in these conditions, as well as a lack of food and water.

Another veterinary clinic determined that Jax had to be euthanized because he was in such poor condition.

The investigation resulted in a warrant for Dr. Dana R. Boehm’s arrest on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.

The following are excerpts from the American Veterinary Medical Association Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics:

• A veterinarian may choose whom he will serve. Once he has undertaken care of a patient he must not neglect him.
• The veterinary profession should safeguard the public and itself against veterinarians deficient in moral character or professional competence.
  Veterinarians should observe all laws, uphold the honor and dignity of the profession, and accept its self-imposed discipline.

Did Dr. Dana Boehm uphold the veterinary code of ethics? Or did she fail by allowing Jax to be neglected so badly that he had to be put down?

We need your support to ensure that Dr. Boehm receives the maximum punishment for her animal cruelty charge. We also feel that she has failed to fulfill the code of ethics upon which her profession operates.

If she is found guilty of her charge, we want to see her veterinary license revoked – what happened to Jax can never happen to another animal!

Petition Letter

Individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

We also found more information and another VERY surprising allegation against Dr. Dana Boehm.

You can read more at these links:

Austin Chronicle (IRS scandal)

Austin Chronicle (Allegations of neglect at shelter where Boehm was the interim director)

News:

MSN News

Taylor Press

Fox 7 Austin

KVUE News

Animal-Protection-Laws-of-Texas-2020-Animal-Legal-Defense-Fund

Update 1/10/2024: Animal Victory sent petition with updated signatures to the DA and judge.

Update 11/14/2023: Animal Victory has learned that the Pre-trial has been reset to 4-03-2024 at 9:00 am and the Jury trial has been reset to 4-08-2024 at 8:30 am.

Update 6/22/2023: Animal Victory has learned that the new court schedule is as follows:

Pre-trial 11/01/2023 at 9 am

Jury Trial 11/13/2023 at 8:30 am

Judge Will Ward is assigned to both.

Update 4/10/2023: Animal Victory sent cover letter and petition to the judge. 

Update 4/06/2023: Animal Victory has learned that the pre-trial is set for May 22, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

Update 1/20/2023: Court has been rescheduled again; it is now scheduled to take place on 02/13/2023 at 9 a.m.

Update 11/18/2022: Animal Victory has learned that court has been rescheduled again; the hearing is now set for 12/20/2022.

Update 9/25/22: The next scheduled court date is October 17, 2022. 

Boehm

Update 9/7/2022: The next court date is scheduled for September 13, 2022. 

Bohem_ Dana

Update 4/27/2022: Animal Victory has learned that Discovery 1st (1:30 PM) has been reset by the court to 06/07/2022.

Update 3/14/2022: Animal Victory has learned that there is a Status Hearing scheduled on 04/14/2022 (Judicial Officer Hallford, Brandy)

Update 01/5/2021: There is no future court date set as of yet. Mariel Puryear, Trial Director with the criminal Division has our petition and has reassured us that their office is taking this animal welfare issue very seriously. Please continue to sign the petition as we will collect signatures up until sentencing.

Update 8/5/2021: Animal Victory has learned that the next court date is scheduled for 10/21/2021 at 2:30 p.m., it is an announcement docket. 

Update 7/27/2021 – The county attorney’s office has informed Animal Victory that Mariel Puryear is the prosecutor for this case.

Update 6/28/2021 – Animal Victory has learned that her arraignment is scheduled for July 30, at 9:00 a.m.

Prior Signatures 14,922