Hot car kills dog of SPCA leader
JOE MAHONEY/TIMES-DISPATCH
Robin Starr at the SPCA’s Dog Jog in March 2007.
Aug. 26. 2009 Dog of Richmond SPCA CEO dies after being left in car for 4 hours
The experience of losing her favorite dog after accidentally leaving it in a hot car for four hours will strengthen the credibility of the Richmond SPCA's leader, say those who work closely with her.
A 16-year-old dog belonging to Robin Starr, the SPCA's chief executive officer and one of the area's most outspoken advocates for animals, died last Wednesday.
Anne Grier, chairwoman of the Richmond SPCA board of directors, said she believes the dog's death will boost Starr's position as an animal advocate.
"I think it enhances her ability to communicate and educate the public about humane issues. I think that if this can happen to her, it can happen to any of us," Grier said.
"We're all human beings. For her to speak from experience -- I know this has been extremely painful to her -- I think gives her more credibility."
However, some in the community say Starr should step down from her position. An article about the situation had drawn about 220 comments, more critical of Starr than supportive, on TimesDispatch.com by late last night.
"She doesn't have as much credibility anymore. . . . She can't stand up for animals in the way that she used to," said Henrico County resident and self-proclaimed dog lover Lamont Johnson.
"I do believe that people make mistakes. Just because it was a mistake doesn't mean you don't have to pay for it. You have to accept responsibility for your mistakes."
Starr said she has no plans to resign from the position she has held since 1997. Yesterday her husband, Ed, took responsibility for the dog's death.
In a teary interview, Ed Starr recalled putting the couple's dog -- a deaf and blind cocker spaniel/poodle mix named Louie -- into the rear of his wife's Volvo station wagon last Wednesday as she prepared for her first day back at work after a 10-day vacation.
But he said he failed to tell Robin Starr he had put the dog, which they had adopted from the SPCA, in her car.
It wasn't until she left her office about noon that day -- after the dog had spent nearly four hours alone in the car -- that she discovered Louie in the back of the station wagon, showing signs of heat stroke.
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.
On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with the windows slightly open can reach 120 degrees within 30 minutes, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Weather service experts say the temperature could reach well above 130 with the windows shut.
She took the dog inside to the SPCA clinic, where it was stabilized and taken to the Veterinary Emergency Center in Carytown. Veterinarians worked unsuccessfully to restore kidney function in Louie, and the dog died about midnight.
"I just forgot . . . and didn't think about it until I got this frantic phone call from Robin. I knew immediately what I had done," Ed Starr recalled yesterday at the SPCA offices on Hermitage Road.
He added, "It wasn't her fault. It was mine."
Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, said the incident can help raise awareness about pet safety.
"This case shows that even the most informed and attentive people on animal welfare can make mistakes, and it's a reminder to all of us to be as diligent as we can possibly be," Pacelle said. "We and the Richmond SPCA have worked hard to educate people about this type of threat to animals. I hope that this unfortunate circumstance reminds people to be very attentive to this problem."
The Starrs have not been charged with any crime. According to the Code of Virginia, it's a Class 1 misdemeanor to inflict "inhumane injury or pain on an animal" but only if the act is willful.
Ed Sayres, president and chief executive of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, expressed his support for Starr yesterday, saying the ASPCA "truly believes that this incident was a horrible and unfortunate accident."
"While some might unfortunately call for Robin's resignation as a result of this horrible accident, it is imperative that we focus on the thousands of animals' lives that she has saved through her work with the Richmond SPCA," he said.
"Louie's death serves as a tragic lesson -- animals should never be left alone in a parked vehicle, and pet parents must stay vigilant when it comes to their pets' safety."
Tamsen Kingry, the SPCA's chief operating officer, said yesterday that "the board of directors for the Richmond SPCA does not waver in their support of Robin Starr, and they will not in the future."
Starr, who had four dogs and two cats, has been a vocal advocate for the welfare of animals and has pushed the General Assembly for tougher laws to protect animals. She also has been a vocal critic of NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in 2007.
When he was reinstated last month by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Starr said, "The action of the NFL commissioner to reinstate Michael Vick is both premature and unwise. Vick has not yet demonstrated that his remorse is sincere or that his irresponsible, cruel and criminal behaviors are likely to change. The NFL and its leadership apparently lack the integrity to require civilized behavior from their players. This would reflect poorly on any team that adds Vick to its roster."
Kingry said Louie's death is a teaching moment for pet owners, and Starr agreed.
"If this could happen to a woman who has dedicated her life to saving animals, the same tragedy could befall anyone else," Kingry said. "That's why it's so important to serve as a learning moment for folks in the community, so that the same tragedy won't befall other pet-loving families."
Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or
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Reader Reactions
Goldie, you wrote - “Where, in code 3.2-6570 Cruelty to Animals, in section (v) carries or causes to be carried by any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or (vi) causes any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor does it specifiy the act has to be “willful”.“
Every subsection outlining cruel acts in the animal cruelty portion of the Virginia Code starts out with this, “Any person who: (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates or kills any animal whether belonging to himself or another; (then it continues to outline detailed instances of AC i…i…ii.iii…iv…). And yes, the language above was included section from which you included the excerpt “v” above. If you’re going to invoke the Virginia Code, please include all of the preceding language - you can’t just cut and paste portions of it to make your point. Sorry.
Where, in code 3.2-6570 Cruelty to Animals, in section (v) carries or causes to be carried by any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or (vi) causes any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor does it specifiy the act has to be “willful”.
Maybe the Richmond prosecutor can explain when a CRIME is committed, what criteria is used to determine if it was an “accident” or an “on purpose”. And is he saying parents which have been charged and prosecuted for leaving their child in a vehicle resulting in death did so ON PURPOSE? PUH-LEASE!
Right, wrong, accidental or intentional, it does not matter. A dog in the care of Ms Starr died due to her, and her husband’s, utter negligence. Ms Starr must be held accountable. If she will not resign, the SPCA Board must dismiss her.
What a tragic accident. As a fellow dog owner and dog lover, I offer my condolences to Ms. Starr and her family. How anyone who has a loved companion animal can feel anything but sympathy for this woman, in this matter, is beyond me.
here’s the truth:
everyone that thinks this can’t be looked into fairly and impartially by local authorities should contact the attorney general.
http://www.vaag.com/ContactUsForm/ContactForm.aspx
I’m pretty sure this woman is in bed with all the local authorities and she won’t be treated similarly to others involved in such a crime. this also might be her trying to bury any genuine arguments against her on this thread.
NO ONE BUT A JUDGE OR JURY SHOULD DECIDE IF IT WAS AN “ACCIDENT”!
ACCIDENTAL AND/OR WILLFUL SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED FOR CHARGES - JUST REASON TO BELIEVE IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
Whether the acts were WILLFUL AND/OR ACCIDENTAL SHOULD BE LEFT TO A JUDICIAL TRIER OF FACT, not you or her other patsy buddies in quasi/LE.
HERE’S WHERE YOU ARE WRONG!
“ACCIDENTAL” is a SUBJECTIVE term which this lady and her cohorts get paid 6 figures to USE THEIR BEST JUDGMENT (of which this illustrates she clearly does not have much) and assist in prosecuting people committing “crimes” not unlike that which she should be accused of. Someone DELIBERATELY put the dog in the car, it didn’t open the door itself!
Now it’s very convenient that someone that has marital privilege would “take the blame” but they should both be charged!
Her salary is relevant for among other reasons because in that just like most things in society nowadays THE POOR DO THE TIME THE RICH PAY THE FINE and she has made the money off the backs of those who’ve done things not so dissimilar from her in this instance.
Your clearly a patsy defender of hers, probably also making 6 figures in the name of “humanity”.
it’s ludicrous for anyone running a “non profit” to make that much money and if you’re apologizing and making excuses for it I guess I was right, you’re one just like her.
everyone that thinks this can’t be looked into fairly and impartially by local authorities should contact the attorney general.
http://www.vaag.com/ContactUsForm/ContactForm.aspx
I’m pretty sure this woman is in bed with all the local authorities and she won;t be treated similarly to others involved in such a crime.
For the record, I am not a spokesperson for Richmond SPCA nor do I know the Starr family at all. I do like the fact that you all are now attacking me instead of them, however. It’s truly typical behavior and I welcome it, by all means.
I don’t really know where to start. Many of you mentioned that I must not have read the numerous stories published by the RTD that covered individuals being prosecuted for animal cruelty. I read them, along with the statements from the Richmond SPCA. Put the simply, the difference between these individuals and Robin Starr is that they were charged and prosecuted because they willfully harmed and/or killed animals.
In Robin’s case, the harm inflicted and the eventual death of her animal was purely accidental. Spare me the “a jury of her peers or the Attorney General should determine this”. All the evidence clearly points to this unfortunate tragedy being an accident (meaning there was no willful intent to harm) and anyone that thinks is, forgive me for saying this again, a moron. Has this been proven otherwise? No. Will it be proven otherwise by investigators and the Attorney General? In my rational opinion, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Therefore, the law was not broken and charges will not be filed.
Second, many have also mentioned that these individuals convicted of animal cruelty have as a result spent time in prison. False. Before Michael Vick there were countless instances of dog fighting discovered and animal cruelty charges levied. None to my knowledge went to prison. In answer to your question, I have heard of Michael Vick. Did you know that Vick was convicted in Federal Court - meaning his sentence was related to inter-state commerce laws, specifically FUNDING a dog fighting ring across state lines?
The second point really is irrelevant to the Robin Starr situation. The bottom line is that all of the evidence we currently have points to this being an accident. And whether this is right or wrong, harming or killing an animal without willful intent does not qualify as animal cruelty under the Virginia Code. Therefore, its wrong for you people to be calling for jail time and conviction for Robin Starr. That’s all.
To those that are now calling her a hypocrite for criticizing people that have done the same thing she has, please read my previous posts of why that is also inaccurate..too tired to repost again.
Maestro, cue the attack…
Why isnt this woman in JAIL let alone being REMOVED from her position at the SPCA. it is an utter tragedy that a person that holds the office she does could let this cruel act happen! Wasnt she the one BLASTING Vick continuously about his wrong doings! look at the price he paid. Equal justice same crime.
This is the COMONWEALTH the people have spoken (12+ pgs) why is she not being prosocuted
Starr is a disgrace to the SPCA and should be fired on the spot. A CEO is supposed to be a leader, and a leader would not allow her spouse to take the blame. Starr is trying to save her own skin and has no concern for the ridicule she is bringing to the SPCA. A true leader would put the organization’s interests above her own.
OK, let’s be realistic here. I’m sick to death of everyone talking about how she built the building, she is the sole champion of animal welfare, she… blah, blah, blah! she alone did not do this, she just basks in the glow of praise and is willing to accept it all without acknowledging all of the others who helped make this place what it is today. As for people who want to pull there money then that is their right. just make sure you put it back into other shelters that aren’t run by an ego. Again, it was an accident, regardless of how arrogant she is when the shoe is on the other foot. She just needs to leave. her contributions to the organization ended years ago. Please look behind the sences to really see who makes that place tick.
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