Veterinarian pleads not guilty

A veterinarian accused of mutilating a puppy's tail pleaded not guilty to an animal-cruelty charge Wednesday in Lancaster County Court.

[Scooter]

This seems to be a complete fabrication.

[lovaldgs]

Fabrication of what....the cruel act? It was witnessed by a person that investigates puppy mills. Or did you mean his pleading not guilty is a fabrication.

LOVEALLDOGS!!!!!!

[A Dog Lover]

Of COURSE the vet is going to PLEAD not guilty. What I want to know is how does the SOB sleep at night knowing he's done such cruel acts to innocent animals.

[lovaldgs]

He has no conscience or he wouldn't have done what he did....it's called money!

[Diane in Nj]

the same way the nazi's would go home and sit at the dinner table with there families after a day of exterminating people...some people have no consciences esp. where money is involved to them it's only a dog to us it's a best friend.

[lovaldgs]

Agree Diane....just visit some of the puppy mills in Lancaster County that this vet serviced and you'll see how the "God loving people" treated these dogs....absolutely horrendous and would make anyone with a heart absolutely sick to their stomach.

To these mills, the dogs are disposable and just money...if an animal can't be used, they don't want them and that includes how they treat their horses too....that's a whole other story.

LOVEALLDOGS

[JAS]

I'll tell u what i am a dog groomer and there is NO WAY even no t knowing what you r doin that You can cut a tail off! Cut it yes but off no!! I dont know why they say he's not practicing either because I live in Honey Brook and I see ppl at his hospital all the time!! Yrs ago when I move here I called him for care of my dogs he told me that he did not deal with big dogs!!! Thank God !!

[Honey Brook Resident]

Obviously, those people don't read the paper or have their head stuck in a pothole somewhere and aren't paying attention! How can he still be practicing while under investigation?

[bikerchick]

This guy is a beaut....now he has the IRS on his case...good. They never let go....read this from Inquirer. His license has been suspended too.
Philadelphia Inquirer
The embattled Chester County veterinarian whose medical license has been suspended pending the outcome of a trial on animal cruelty charges is now in trouble with the IRS.
In a federal complaint filed July 7, the U.S. Justice Department asked the U.S. District Court to secure $489,418 in back taxes owed by Thomas Stevenson, operator of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook.
The complaint says Stevenson failed to pay federal income taxes between 1994 and 1999 and that his son "acquired his purported interest" in Stevenson's house "for the purpose of assisting Tom Stevenson to evade his federal income tax liabilities."
The federal government asks the court to compel Stevenson to sell the house in Elverson to pay the debt.
Stevenson's 28-year-old son Joshua Stevenson of Moscow, Idaho, is named in the complaint.
Stevenson also was named in a consumer fraud lawsuit in New Jersey involving a couple that purchased a sick dog from CC Pets, a Lancaster County kennel that used Stevenson's services. That case was settled last week. Terms were not made public.
In March Stevenson was charged with animal cruelty in Lancaster County for allegedly cutting off the tail of a puppy without anesthesia. A pre-trial hearing in the cruelty case is scheduled for Oct. 14 in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.
bikerchick

[noname]

I would have to see it to believe it. C'mon really? For someone to hold a puppie's tail under scolding hot water before cutting it off? I'm not saying it isn't possible but it does sound far-fetched. I don't know this person, or have I ever had any of my pets there to be treated but I'm just saying.......

[lovaldgs]

YES, some things are so hard to believe but BELIEVE IT!- it happened!!!!! There WAS an eyewitness to this horrendous act and that's what got this guy arrested.

People do cruel and inhumane things to animals including some vets that are supposed to be helping them.....so again? BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

LOVEALLDOGS!!!!!!!!!!

[Honey Brook Resident]

I see you're from East Earl. Puppy Mill owner perhaps?! You should take a closer look at your OWN community and see what goes on there. Go to topix.com - East Earl. Read some of the messages posted on it. ESPECIALLY the ones where the Township Supervisors gave KNOWN puppy mills LICENSES!! I suggest opening your eyes and attending some of the township meetings.

noname wrote:

I would have to see it to believe it. C'mon really? For someone to hold a puppie's tail under scolding hot water before cutting it off? I'm not saying it isn't possible but it does sound far-fetched. I don't know this person, or have I ever had any of my pets there to be treated but I'm just saying.......

[Honey Brook Resident]

If there are people going in and out of that business, WHAT are they doing in there? Is someone else operating it? Who do we contact to make sure the BUSINESS is shut down completely while he's under investigation?

bikerchick wrote:

This guy is a beaut....now he has the IRS on his case...good. They never let go....read this from Inquirer. His license has been suspended too.
Philadelphia Inquirer
The embattled Chester County veterinarian whose medical license has been suspended pending the outcome of a trial on animal cruelty charges is now in trouble with the IRS.
In a federal complaint filed July 7, the U.S. Justice Department asked the U.S. District Court to secure $489,418 in back taxes owed by Thomas Stevenson, operator of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook.
The complaint says Stevenson failed to pay federal income taxes between 1994 and 1999 and that his son "acquired his purported interest" in Stevenson's house "for the purpose of assisting Tom Stevenson to evade his federal income tax liabilities."
The federal government asks the court to compel Stevenson to sell the house in Elverson to pay the debt.
Stevenson's 28-year-old son Joshua Stevenson of Moscow, Idaho, is named in the complaint.
Stevenson also was named in a consumer fraud lawsuit in New Jersey involving a couple that purchased a sick dog from CC Pets, a Lancaster County kennel that used Stevenson's services. That case was settled last week. Terms were not made public.
In March Stevenson was charged with animal cruelty in Lancaster County for allegedly cutting off the tail of a puppy without anesthesia. A pre-trial hearing in the cruelty case is scheduled for Oct. 14 in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.
bikerchick

[lovaldgs]

It is possible that the clinic he ran is still open but someone else is working it? A phone call to it might get the answer you're looking for. Maybe it's him and no one has reported him? I wouldn't put it past him, given his past record and people are "blind" out here or simply can't believe what they hear...e.g. noname from East Earl.

I find in surfing and posting on this site that whenever there is criticism of puppy mills or breeders or cruelty involving puppy mills, people come out of the woodwork defending these big breeders and the vets that service them. So your comment that noname might be one of these breeders is certainly not off the wall.

These breeders also use the internet for their own gain and I actually like the fact they respond like that....Reason? Our comments are obviously making them squirm and that's good. We must all continue to post the horrors of these awful places so the general public stops buying their puppies from them and the end result? The puppy mills will go out of business...that is our goal - shut down all puppy mills!!!!!!

LOVEALLDOGS!!!!!!!!!

[Honey Brook Resident]

And in the meantime, someone like Michael Vick gets back into the NFL and everybody is like - hey - it's no big deal, he's a great player. That sort of stuff really burns me up. And I used to be an Eagles fan.

[lovaldgs]

So true - When it comes to football there is a lot that is ignored all for the sake of the game. Nothing else need be said....football fans don't care as long as their team wins....arrrgh.....

For me he has to prove himself by being very verbal and making a lot of public appearances for the cause of "stopping dog fights"...so far haven't seen any publicity or public appeances at all - because???? He's practicing for the games, LOL...not surprised.

[Elverson Resident]

Tom Stevenson has been my vet for 7 years. In that time he has treated 2 of my very frail, elderly dogs. He has done a wonderful job, is amazingly gentle, and I have been completely satisfied (and very grateful) for his services.

[lovaldgs]

And your point being???????

[Honey Brook Resident]

Consider yourself, and your pets, lucky. Don't be an ostrich and put your head in the sand. These allegations are based on FACTS, not speculations.

Elverson Resident wrote:

Tom Stevenson has been my vet for 7 years. In that time he has treated 2 of my very frail, elderly dogs. He has done a wonderful job, is amazingly gentle, and I have been completely satisfied (and very grateful) for his services.

[My Vet for years]

I have known this Vet for many years. He is very kind, gentle, considerate, with all his patients as well as their owners. He is also medically sound with all his patients, from what I have witnessed, experienced, and heard from others for many years. Something is rotten in Denmark as they say, with this so-called witness. Someone obviously trying to fry him for some reason. If you think this sort of thing can't happen, or won't happen in a small town, think again; and look around really closely.
No one should even consider believing this trumped-up load of crap!
As for the Income Tax issue; would he be the only person ever to attempt to save money needed to survive on????
If this one proves out to be as reported, he just gets to pay it back; or rather a much smaller, agreed-upon portion of it, as anyone has to do.