Update April 22, 2009 - BCTV News announced that BOTH of these "Vets" - Mark Morohn and Carol Schoyen - have been CHARGED with Animal ABUSE.

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The SPCA says another five horses found on the Langley property were also in extremely poor condition and are under veterinary care. December 8, 2008. (Shannon Paterson/CTV) Starving horses owned by vets: SPCAUpdated: Fri Dec. 12 2008 18:23:12ctvbc.ca.

It's been 48 hours since five sick and starving horses were rescued from a Langley, B.C. farm and its still touch and go. "We nearly lost one last night," said Eileen Drever, SPCA cruelty investigator. The horses were seized by the Surrey SPCA after their owners used another of their emaciated thoroughbreds to try to pull their car out of a ditch. "That's outrageous," says Shawn Eccles, another Animal Protection Officer. "Then to take a look at the animal itself they believe that animal has the health to do this. I'm stunned. Stunned."

Even more stunning is who owns the horses. "It has been confirmed that the owners are veterinarians, which was shocking," said Drever. This is the first time I've seen people with background they have that have allowed animals to get in this condition," said Eccles.

CTV News has learned they are Mark Morohn and Carol Schoyen, and they lived with the horses on the Langley farm.

No one was home when CTV visited the farm Friday. The clinic where they used to practice has changed ownership.

"Veterinarians, in my mind, would be held at a higher standard of care," said Dr. Jeff Grognet, President of the BC Veterinary Medical Association. But even though the SPCA is recommending charges against the couple, their veterinary licenses can't be pulled immediately, like with teachers or doctors. "They can pull a license pending the investigation," says Grognet. "In our situation, we have to investigate and reach a conclusion before we can look at suspending a license."

At the SPCA, the surviving horses have stolen the hearts of the shelter staff -- and the public. "The support has been phenomenal," said Drever. "We know these animals tonight are being taken care of and their stress has been relieved and we'll find them good homes," said Eccles. With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/langleytimes/news/36005619.html


----- Original Message -----
From: Fillmore, Diane AL:EX
To: brenderup@shaw.ca
Cc: Collins, Christine D AL:EX ; Crozier, Bev AL:EX ; Evers, Charlene AL:EX
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 12:28 PM
Subject: Your E-mails of December 16, 2008

Dear Ms. Lippert,

Thank you for your e-mails addressed to Christine Collins and Charlene Evers regarding the powers of the BCVMA. I am responding on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

The Veterinarians Act empowers the BC Veterinary Medical Association to cause an inquiry to be made into the “conduct or mental condition or capability or fitness to practise of a member of the association”. Once an inquiry has taken place and a determination has been made, the council may take action against a member regardless of whether the member has been charged or convicted either under the Prevention of Cruelty Act or the Criminal Code. .

The Province of British Columbia is aware of the public’s concern and is looking into appropriate ways to deal with it.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns.

Diane Fillmore
Executive Manager, Special Projects
4th Floor, 808 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9120, Victoria, BC V8W 9B4
Phone: (250) 356-5077

Hi Everybody,

Well, let us start this update with a few pieces of good news:

Our four musketeers have now the okay from the attending veterinarian to be moved sooner than initially thought - we are looking at moving them right after the weekend, which means they will eat their Christmas dinner in their new foster homes, if that's not Merry Christmas to everybody I don't know what is!

For those of you who haven't watched CTV tonight, there was another short coverage of this abuse case and the Minister of Agriculture Stan Hagen, was quoted as saying "they will do anything (including looking at changing the legislature) so that something like this can't happen again". What he is referring to is the fact that right now the BCVMA (BC Veterinary Medical Association) cannot suspend a veterinarian's license until they have completed their own investigation (even if that veterinarian has been charged or already been convicted!). There is no time limit or deadline for them to complete their investigation either, which means that in the meantime someone like Schoyen or Morohn could practice on animals.

Our cousin Judee has done some research on the CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) and the BCVMA on this matter, see below her information:

_____________________________
1. The CVMA is not a regulatory body like the BCVMA. Their functions are completely different;

2. The CVMA does not have a mandate to regulate the conduct of veterinarians - it's a private membership body only;

3. Each province does have a regulatory body appointed for the governance of veterinarians (ours is, obviously BCVMA)

4. When an application is made by a vet in a new province, that new province requires a letter from every jurisdiction that the applying vet had previously been registered to and working in. Until a conviction is obtained, pending, outstanding and on-going charges are not always considered, or even enquired about, in the jurisdiction where the new application is being processed. It is, however, "the practice" of BCVMA to provide details of on-going, pending and outstanding charges to a new jurisdiction that enquires of it. Hopefully, this will take place should they apply for licensing elsewhere.

5. Each member of the BCVMA must keep his address up-to-date on their files.

6. She said an inquiry against Carol Schoyen has been launched but not against Morohn as his license was already suspended.
_____________________________

We are absolutely convinced that the outpour of responses of animal lovers to this horrible incident will change something! The Langley Times had to close letters to the editor because of the many responses to their initial coverage they received. We CAN change something if there is enough power and this power comes from each and every one of us who stands up for what they believe is right!

Barbara will be back at the shelter tomorrow but from what we heard today the horses are more alert, are starting to have a sparkle in their eyes and are all eating well. Some setbacks are that one of the mares had a very painful abscess in her front foot which had to be lanced, cleaned and bandaged by the veterinarian and our oldtimer ("Misty", the gray pony mare, 32 years old) has to undergo some tooth extractions tomorrow. We are hoping that by the time they can be moved, this will be healed up and they can enjoy some very much deserved TLC over the holidays!

We also want to take this opportunity to send out a huge THANK YOU to all those of you who wrote emails offering to volunteer at the shelter. Please know how much your offers to help these four guys are appreciated - especially at a time when it's so cold and icy outside and everybody is so busy with holiday preparations. The outpour of offers from animal lovers that want to help is just simply heartwarming! I hope I haven't missed one single email to say Thank You!

Hurray to all of us for coming this far!
Steve and Barbara

A few NEW links below FYI
http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/langleytimes/

http://www.canada.com/langleyadvance/news/story.html?id=e81b3dd7-7329-44af-9da3- 520d211d39b0

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081218/bc_horse_vets_official s_081217/20081218/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

----- Original Message -----
From: Valerie Osborne
To: brenderup@shaw.ca
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 7:28 AM
Subject: FW: Something interesting from GoPetition

Dear Ms. Lippert;

I read your email to the government; thank you for advising me of that.

I do want to correct you on one important point; you say in that email that the BCVMA cannot suspend a veterinarian until they have been charged criminally. This is not quite accurate.


The key is that the BCVMA can only suspend a veterinarian after an inquiry hearing has been held by the BCVMA, under the Veterinarians Act, and the BCVMA does not have interim suspension power, to suspend a member pending the outcome of that process.

The fact that a vet is charged or even convicted criminally, by the SPCA or Crown, for example under the Criminal Code or Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, does not change this. A criminal charge or conviction does not give the BCVMA an immediate or automatic power to immediately suspend them. It also does not lead to an automatic finding of misconduct under the Veterinarians Act. The evidence leading to the charges, or the fact of a conviction, would be some evidence of a wrong under the Veterinarians Act, that might be used in a BCVMA hearing under that Act into alleged misconduct as a veterinarian.

Sincerely,

Val Osborne

Valerie Osborne, B.Sc., LL.B.
Registrar, BC Veterinary Medical Association
tel: 604-929-7090

Disgusted? Send an E-mail to the :
Minister of Agriculture & Land - Honourable --
Stan Hagen

Also, send an e-mail to your MLA.

ALERT: Sunday, December 14, 2008
SPCA seizure of 6 horses
A notice from the Registrar
Recent media reports indicate that two veterinarians may be facing charges of animal cruelty, related to the apprehension by the BC SPCA of six emaciated horses, one of which was euthanized. The BCVMA understands that any suggestion that veterinarians have been involved in such events is highly disturbing. And we also understand that some may expect immediate and forceful action on the part of the BCVMA.

The BCVMA is the regulatory body for BC veterinarians. The public has every right to expect that the BCVMA as the licensing body will take effective action to ensure that the public is served by a competent and ethical profession.

The BCVMA is awaiting an official report from a competent authority on this matter. That report could form the basis of an investigation under the Veterinarians Act.

It is important to remember that every veterinarian has the right to a fair investigation and hearing process. It is also important to understand that the Veterinarians Act does not give the BCVMA the authority to suspend a veterinarian pending the outcome of an investigation or inquiry hearing.