“Spiraling effect”
The first day of the trial against former veterinarian Elisa Kirkpatrick saw the prosecution paint a vivid picture of the inside of her residence, and the state of the animals residing there.
Kirkpatrick is facing 11 charges; four of which are for practicing veterinary medicine without a valid license, while five are for "owner's duties." The charges of owner's duties detail how Kirkpatrick allegedly "knowingly failed to provide humane care and treatment" to multiple animals under her care. She was facing 12 charges, however one charge was dropped when it was discovered that the owner of the pet in question would serve as a character witness for Kirkpatrick.
The charges had been recently amended by the state, after a memorandum by Kirkpatrick's attorney, John Clemons of the Southern Illinois Law Center. Assistant State's Attorney Joe Cervantez stated that the charges had been changed from failure to provide adequate shelter to a "general" charge of failure to provide humane treatment or care, while the charges of "owner's duties" is described as a different title of her original charges.
On Friday, May 22, 2015, Kirkpatrick's residence in Creal Springs was raided by Williamson County law enforcement, firefighters, and animal control officials, and more than 60 animals were removed from the property, including an African serval, a bobcat, two pigs, donkeys, and numerous cats and dogs. Kirkpatrick had previously lost her veterinary license, but as testimony in court revealed, she was still working as a veterinarian and conducting surgeries in her home.
Multiple testimonies on Wednesday described the state of the house as unsanitary, and as both covered in and reeking of feces and urine - the smell perceivable from 30 to 40 feet from the home. Reports given during testimony described multiple animals in distress, some animals running loose in the home, and a basement floor that was "slick or slimy" with feces and urine. Testimonies also described the basement as containing multiple garbage bags, as well as three freezers full of animal carcasses, as well as a large pig that was roaming the area. Williamson County Fire Protection District Fireman Sean Galloway reported that he and other firefighters who first examined the state of the home had to wear HazMat suits and protective gear as a standard precaution for the situation, while Williamson County Animal Control officer Ed Barwick mentioned that he wished that he had asked for a suit to wear during his inspection, due to the strong odor and presence of fecal matter. Barwick also mentioned how he and other Animal Control officers had to take several minutes outside to "clear the lungs" of the odor.
Captain Brian Thomas of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, who conducted the first interview with Kirkpatrick on May 22, extending into the early hours of May 23, stated that during a voluntary interview with Kirkpatrick, she admitted to the state of the house being "bad." In her interview with Thomas, Kirkpatrick also described the home as "wall to wall feces…urine…was not healthy, no air flow." She admitted to Thomas that she had recently conducted two surgeries, which she described as "nightmare surgeries"; a neutering and the removal of a tumor, on her kitchen island. Thomas said that Kirkpatrick admitted that the island location was "no place" to do the surgeries, repeatedly stating that she was "desperate." When asked, Thomas stated that Kirkpatrick also reportedly said that "If it was her (Kirkpatrick's) animal, she would not want surgery on an island." However, when Clemons cross-examined Thomas, it was revealed that the island had been sterilized prior to each surgical procedures. Kirkpatrick had stated that she owned a surgical table, but that it was in the barn on her property, allegedly saying that it was "too heavy to move by herself."
Expert testimony regarding the proper conditions for treatment, and the conditions of the pets, was provided by Herrin veterinarian Dr. Gordon Rhine, who stressed the importance of sanitary conditions for animals, as well as the need for fecal matter to be cleaned, so as to also remove the presence of bacteria. As many of the animals were around fecal matter and had open wounds, Rhine described the situation as "asking for trouble."
The court also heard testimony from two owners of dogs who had been treated and housed by Kirkpatrick. Both owners stated that Kirkpatrick had not informed them that she did not have a veterinary license, and both were unaware that the conditions at her home were anything unlike those at Kirkpatrick's Kitty Klinic, located in Carbondale - Kirkpatrick's former place of operations.
The clinic had closed, following the case that led to the suspension of her license in 2011. In the case in question, the owner of a cat left at the Kitty Klinic claimed that the cat showed signs of injury, neglect, and smelled of urine. Kirkpatrick's license was suspended, and she never responded to requests to address the complaint, and also missed two hearings on the matter.
Both owners brought their pets into area clinics and hospitals for care the day they were called to retrieve their pets - Saturday, May 23, 2015 - with one dog dying less than 24 hours after admittance to a clinic. Dr. Allen Hodapp, of the Pet Wellness Center in Marion, treated the animal who passed, and believed the cause of death to be peritonitis - an infection of the abdominal cavity - that had been brought on by the pet's recent surgery by Kirkpatrick. While detailing the possible causes of peritonitis, Hodapp mentioned the presence of hair in and around the animal's surgical incision. During cross, Clemons questioned Hodapp, who admitted that several tests that could have definitively proven peritonitis as a cause of death had not been done on the deceased pet - many of which were denied by the pet's owner.
The trial against Kirkpatrick will continue today.