Veterinarian

Thomas E. Sooy, a longtime Catonsville veterinarian, died from complications following a bone marrow stem cell transplant Oct. 9 in Seattle. He was 58. Dr. Sooy, who lived in Ellicott City, was born March 4, 1952, in Livingston, Mont., where he participated in athletics and the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13. His interest in veterinary medicine began after a Cub Scouts field trip. His mother was surprised by the announcement because he was allergic to animal dander, said his wife of more than 38 years and high school sweetheart, the former Diane Schultz.

Maryland pet owners would receive a description of the procedures their animals undergo and a cost estimate before their veterinarian provides treatment, under a proposed regulation set to take effect before the end of the year. The Maryland Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners discussed the new informed-consent standards at Thursday's meeting as a way to head off disputes over bills. Board President Chris H. Runde said many veterinarians already ask customers to sign such forms, but the regulation will make it a requirement.

A veterinarian convicted on two counts of animal cruelty received a sentence of two years' supervised probation and 350 hours of community service, and was fined $500 in Howard County District Court Friday.Richard John Burroughs, 51, of Mount Airy, faced a maximum sentence of 90 days in prison with up to $1,000 in fines on each count of cruelty to his two cows that, District Judge Louis Becker decided May 18, were mistreated."I have to hold you to a higher standard than someone who's a farmer or a simple pet owner," Judge Becker said.

A day after the lack of oversight at Maryland race tracks came to light in a hearing before the Maryland Racing Commission at Pimlico Race Course , the commission's executive director, Mike Hopkins, said steps are already being taken to improve the situation. One of the biggest issues in the hearing that resulted in upholding the disqualification of the Rick Dutrow Jr.-trained King and Crusader from the Dec. 17 Maryland Juvenile Championship at Laurel Park was the disregard for a regulation mandating slips for each horse being treated before a race to be reviewed by the stewards or their representatives within an hour of each race.

A Mount Airy veterinarian went to Howard Circuit Court yesterday to dispute criminal charges that he mistreated two cows at his farm in January 1992.Richard John Burroughs, 51, is on trial for two counts of animal cruelty, offenses that give him up to 90 days in prison and $1,000 in fines if he is convicted.Dr. Burroughs was given probation, 350 hours of community service and fined $500 after he was convicted of the charges in Howard District Court in May 1993. He then appealed the conviction to Circuit Court for a jury trial.

IF ALL the kids who ever dreamed of becoming veterinarians actually ended up with their degrees, there would be almost as many pet doctors in the world as there are dogs and cats.But it's as hard to earn a veterinarian degree as it is a medical degree. And with just 25 veterinary schools in the country, openings for students are scarce.The result is that most animal lovers settle for different occupations, satisfied to commune with dogs and cats after work.Susan Brennan wouldn't settle.Growing up in Severna Park, she knew from the time she was 10 that she wanted animals to be her life's work.

A Howard County jury has cleared a veterinarian of criminal charges that he mistreated a cow at his Mount Airy farm in January 1992.The Circuit Court jury of six men and six women deadlocked on a charge of mistreatment of a second cow after seven hours of deliberation. The trial lasted three days.The veterinarian, Richard John Burroughs, 51, had been convicted in District Court in May 1993 of mistreating both cows. He was fined $500 and given a probationary sentence that called for him to give 350 hours of community service.

Dr. E. Andrew Whittington, a veterinarian and triathlete who had been a longtime Sykesville resident, died of cardiac arrest Monday at his home in Sarasota, Fla. He was 58. Tomorrow was to have been Dr. Whittington's last day practicing veterinary medicine at University Animal Clinic in Sarasota, where he had worked since moving from Sykesville in 1999. Dr. Whittington changed careers to become a personal trainer and had recently established FIT Inc. - Focused Individual Training - and planned to work with people older than 50. An accomplished and nationally ranked amateur athlete, Dr. Whittington was a veteran of more than 20 marathons, including Boston's and New York City's, and competed in the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon.

An Odenton dog owner filed a $250,000 lawsuit yesterday in Anne Arundel Circuit Court against an Annapolis veterinarian, alleging that the veterinarian misdiagnosed his dog and euthanized it.In the lawsuit, Richard Andreski of the 600 block of Realm Court West alleges that Dr. Brian Cassell of the Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic told him April 26, 1995, that his pedigreed Rottweiler had cancer.The dog, named "Chunky," was euthanized. But an autopsy determined that it was not suffering from any form of cancer, the suit says.

Dr. C. Spencer Streett, a medical researcher and former Harford County veterinarian and animal pathologist, died Thursday of cancer at his Kalamazoo, Mich., home, where he had lived since 1991. He was 66 and had earlier resided in Fallston. A veterinarian who tested drugs for a company engaged in human and animal cancer research, he owned and operated the Fallston Veterinary Clinic in Fallston from 1963 to 1975. He also did consulting work in animal pathology. "He was extremely intelligent, and he had one of the finest work ethics I've ever encountered," said Henry S. Holloway, a friend who is a Darlington farmer.

Your article "Some pet owners fight poor treatment by vets" (April 7) is an important reminder that we can never be too careful when entrusting our beloved animal companions to others - even those who are supposed to heal them. Just as parents would never neglect to check a babysitter's references, guardians of animal companions should contact their local Better Business Bureau and state veterinary board to check for complaints before choosing a veterinarian. Always insist upon your right to stay with your animal at all times - if the vet refuses to allow you in the "back room," don't hesitate to take your animal and leave.

Did you miss this story? Read it here , and search a Baltimore Sun database to see whether your veterinarian has been in trouble . The Baltimore Sun's recent investigation into Maryland's veterinarians began with a question from Maryland Editor Dave Rosenthal: What, exactly does the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners do? As it turned out, the answer to that question brought to light several recent cases in which veterinarians were found to have provided inadequate care, failed to conduct proper tests or kept poor records.

Jurors got a closer look Friday at Phoenix, a pit bull set aflame in West Baltimore in 2009, in the retrial of the twin brothers accused of the crime. Panel members looked ahead without reaction as they were shown images of the dog almost entirely wrapped in bandages at an animal hospital. One showed the dog lying on its side, with a catheter tube leading to a bag of blood-red urine. Another showed her badly burned face — what would normally be a shiny black nose and pair of lips turned raw and red. Jurors also got a second look at a police surveillance video showing parts of the burning, guided through this time by the police officer who discovered the dog in flames at the mouth of an alley in Sandtown-Winchester.

Dr. Charles Thomas Shortall, a retired Towson veterinarian whose career spanned more than 40 years, died Friday of cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The longtime Lutherville resident was 76. Dr. Shortall was born on a farm in Queen Anne's County and raised in Cordova. After graduating from Easton High School in 1953, he earned a bachelor's degree in 1957 from Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Del. He enlisted in the Army and after graduating from security school was sent to Eritrea, Africa.

Dr. Donald W. Zantop, co-owner of the Fallston Veterinary Clinic who was noted for his avian rescue work, died Oct. 13 in a diving accident off Bald Head Island, N.C. The Fallston resident, who was 59, had been collecting underwater fossils with friends when the accident occurred. Dr. Zantop was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., where he was pronounced dead. The incident remains under investigation by the Coast Guard, according to news reports.

Thomas E. Sooy, a longtime Catonsville veterinarian, died from complications following a bone marrow stem cell transplant Oct. 9 in Seattle. He was 58. Dr. Sooy, who lived in Ellicott City, was born March 4, 1952, in Livingston, Mont., where he participated in athletics and the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13. His interest in veterinary medicine began after a Cub Scouts field trip. His mother was surprised by the announcement because he was allergic to animal dander, said his wife of more than 38 years and high school sweetheart, the former Diane Schultz.

Back in January, friends and police portrayed Nicole Marie Caruso alternately as a dog groomer and a dogfighter, an animal rights activist and a drug dealer, a beloved worker with loyal clients and a thief who pilfered piles of animal meds from her employer. Her co-workers, bosses at two jobs, friends and neighbors defended the 26-year-old. They called the charges of drug dealing, theft and animal cruelty preposterous. Baltimore County Police Chief James W. Johnson told reporters at a televised news conference full of props and photos that the evidence indicated a marijuana and dogfighting ring at Caruso's Lange Street townhouse in North Point.