Dog of Richmond SPCA CEO dies after being left in car for 4 hours

[aprophet]

Published: August 26, 2009

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.

About noon, she 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. The dog died about midnight of kidney failure, the Starrs said.

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.

For more on this story, see tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.

[CountryGirl]

Welcome. Unfortunately, I can't read this without highlighting it as the text blends into the background.

The system default of colors works real well and all of us can read it.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

what did my eyes do to you?

[LouC]

I read about this yesterday.

Very sad.

Virginia SPCA exec's dog dies after four hours in hot car
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- A prosecutor says no charges are planned against an executive for an anti-animal cruelty group whose 16-year-old blind and deaf dog died after accidentally being left in a hot car for four hours.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland said yesterday that charges are not planned against Robin Starr, CEO of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Ms. Starr says she didn't realize "Louie" was in the car until noon. Her husband, Ed, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he put the dog in her car's cargo area as she got ready for work Aug. 19, but forgot to tell her. She often took the dog to work with her.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09239/993599-84.stm?cmpid=nationworld.xml#ixzz0POYVduFF

[notluzn]

I think it's worse when children are left in cars.

[Army Wife]

what did my eyes do to you?

...you looked at him/her sideways and they didn't like it...I told you about looking at the new people before they are broken in Dr. Funkie when will you learn? Now you are gonna have to go around for the next week with the weird wrap around sunglasses you get when they dilate you eyes until your eyeballs repair themselves.


Maybe next time you will listen.


:naughty:

[LouC]

I think it's worse when children are left in cars.

:think:

Which children?

[AutoRacer55]

It's a dog gone shame that this happened. Hopefully she won't be hounded too badly by the media over this.

[RogerDodger]

An unfortunate incident, but obviously no malice was involved. I'm glad the group is standing behind her.

[LouC]

An unfortunate incident, but obviously no malice was involved. I'm glad the group is standing behind her.

Yeah they are standing behind her but oddly nobody wants to ride to lunch with her anymore... :think:

[gdoane]

Yeah they are standing behind her but oddly nobody wants to ride to lunch with her anymore... :think:

Especially if they're going for hot dogs.

[NascarGirl2448]

An unfortunate incident, but obviously no malice was involved. I'm glad the group is standing behind her.

Sounds like a tragic accident with no malicious intent. I hope she doesn't get hounded by the media for days on end.

[LouC]

Sounds like a tragic accident with no malicious intent. I hope she doesn't get hounded by the media for days on end.

Oh they might dog her over this some, but then again who can ever tell what the pack mentality will entail?

[LouC]

Especially if they're going for hot dogs.

:))

[NascarGirl2448]

Oh they might dog her over this some, but then again who can ever tell what the pack mentality will entail?

True. The word accident is not in some people's vocabulary.

[tidewatergal]

I have the deepest sympathy for anyone who loses a pet. Tragic, yes. Intentional, surely not. Nevertheless, a dog was KILLED in the Starrs' care. Savvy damage control for hubby to take the blame. Easier to swallow than the CEO of RSPCA being neglectful. Sure, it could have happened to any one of us & I hope it never does. Point is, we are not leading the RSPCA. It's utterly ridiculous & laughable to think she can still lead the RSPCA with any credibility. A pet owner whose negligence caused the death of her own pet leading the masses? Ha! This incident will ALWAYS come up if Starr stays. Put the animals ahead of your ego, Starr, & step down so the stain of this act of neglect & stupidity can fade & the good work can continue. Volunteer if you truly care, but step down as CEO! Because of you, the RSPCA can no longer say it's a NO KILL shelter! If your colleagues think we believe that Louie's death will strengthen your credibility, THEY are dumber than they think we are. BTW, who is going to protect the Starrs' other pets? Will they love them to death too?

[AutoRacer55]

I have the deepest sympathy for anyone who loses a pet. Tragic, yes. Intentional, surely not. Nevertheless, a dog was KILLED in the Starrs' care. Savvy damage control for hubby to take the blame. Easier to swallow than the CEO of RSPCA being neglectful. Sure, it could have happened to any one of us & I hope it never does. Point is, we are not leading the RSPCA. It's utterly ridiculous & laughable to think she can still lead the RSPCA with any credibility. A pet owner whose negligence caused the death of her own pet leading the masses? Ha! This incident will ALWAYS come up if Starr stays. Put the animals ahead of your ego, Starr, & step down so the stain of this act of neglect & stupidity can fade & the good work can continue. Volunteer if you truly care, but step down as CEO! Because of you, the RSPCA can no longer say it's a NO KILL shelter! If your colleagues think we believe that Louie's death will strengthen your credibility, THEY are dumber than they think we are. BTW, who is going to protect the Starrs' other pets? Will they love them to death too?

Yeah, we lost a pet recently. Let go of the leash, never came back.

[Panhead0422]

Yeah, we lost a pet recently. Let go of the leash, never came back.

Next time you might stop the car and wait for your pet to catch up to you.:doh::mrgreen:

[sgtmac_46]

Especially if they're going for hot dogs.

Darn you! I was going to use that line! :))

[WhiteFang]

Especially if they're going for hot dogs.

What an idiot post

[WhiteFang]

Darn you! I was going to use that line! :))

And another one

[AutoRacer55]

Next time you might stop the car and wait for your pet to catch up to you.:doh::mrgreen:

I actually have to take that last post of mine back. I ran into my old dog recently, but was in my mom's mini-van at the time.

[gdoane]

What an idiot post

You obviously don't understand the link between humor and tragedy. To put it bluntly, you can't take a joke.

Movies like the Pink Panther series and Dr. Strangelove and such illustrate a dark humor which you don't seem to get.

That's all well and good, but when you call one of my brilliantly elucidated posts "idiotic" you expose your own lack of humor and depth.

The mark of a brilliant man is to find humor in any situation. Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and MArk Twain all cracked a joke or two. Brilliant men thinking outside of the box got us to where we are.

I suppose if you didn't get it, my joke would be tasteless at best. That's okay, this is a discussion forum and we're not supposed to agree because you can't have a discussion with total agreement anyway.

[WhiteFang]

You obviously don't understand the link between humor and tragedy. To put it bluntly, you can't take a joke.

Movies like the Pink Panther series and Dr. Strangelove and such illustrate a dark humor which you don't seem to get.

That's all well and good, but when you call one of my brilliantly elucidated posts "idiotic" you expose your own lack of humor and depth.

The mark of a brilliant man is to find humor in any situation. Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and MArk Twain all cracked a joke or two. Brilliant men thinking outside of the box got us to where we are.

I suppose if you didn't get it, my joke would be tasteless at best. That's okay, this is a discussion forum and we're not supposed to agree because you can't have a discussion with total agreement anyway.

OK. Tasteless. Death is sacred animal or human.

[AutoRacer55]

OK. Tasteless. Death is sacred animal or human.

Read the Darwin Awards more.

[AutoRacer55]

You obviously don't understand the link between humor and tragedy. To put it bluntly, you can't take a joke.

Movies like the Pink Panther series and Dr. Strangelove and such illustrate a dark humor which you don't seem to get.

That's all well and good, but when you call one of my brilliantly elucidated posts "idiotic" you expose your own lack of humor and depth.

The mark of a brilliant man is to find humor in any situation. Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and MArk Twain all cracked a joke or two. Brilliant men thinking outside of the box got us to where we are.

I suppose if you didn't get it, my joke would be tasteless at best. That's okay, this is a discussion forum and we're not supposed to agree because you can't have a discussion with total agreement anyway.

Where was that line about a year ago? I cracked a joke about a baby in a microwave and was practically lambasted by a few people.

But hey, I thought it was funny.

[Panhead0422]

I actually have to take that last post of mine back. I ran into my old dog recently, but was in my mom's mini-van at the time.

Did you hurt yourself?

[Panhead0422]

Where was that line about a year ago? I cracked a joke about a baby in a microwave and was practically lambasted by a few people.

But hey, I thought it was funny.


Which is easier to unload, a truckload of watermelons.......UHHH, on second thought I am not going there.

[Panhead0422]

Sounds like a tragic accident with no malicious intent. I hope she doesn't get hounded by the media for days on end.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree. The SPCA is a primarily liberal organization, I am guessing that she and her hubby are democrats and if this is the case the media will drop the story as soon as possible.

[AutoRacer55]

Did you hurt yourself?

Given that I was in the mini-van and he wasn't, I'd say that I wasn't hurt.

[AutoRacer55]

Which is easier to unload, a truckload of watermelons.......UHHH, on second thought I am not going there.

http://stoneship.org/pub/roflmao.gif

[RogerDodger]

I think you are barking up the wrong tree. The SPCA is a primarily liberal organization, I am guessing that she and her hubby are democrats and if this is the case the media will drop the story as soon as possible.

Amazing that even a story about a dead dog can be turned into something political.

[Kegler300]

Punishment should be he has to endure at least four hours in the same car in the sun with the windows rolled up.