War of Words Over Tinkerbelle's Medical Care

From: Deniz Bolbol
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 6:17 PM
To: PAWS; JaneGarrison; Elliot M. Katz,DVM; Mark Berman; BAARN
Subject: Re: Tinkerbelle

Pat,

Are you stating that the Zoo staff never used an instrument to file or cut away at Tinkerbelle's feet at PAWS? If the Zoo staff didn't do it - then who did it?

In December you stated that Tinkerbelle's feet were being cut at PAWS. Today you state, "At no time has anyone at PAWS even touched Tinkerbelle's feet with any foot trimming instrument." These statements contradict each other -- which one is the truth?

The excerpt (below) from PAWS' Tinkerbelle Report dated 12/27/04 states that cutting, or "trimming," of Tinkerbelle's feet took place at PAWS.

Written by PAWS: TINKERBELLE REPORT 12/27/2004

We trimmed quite a bit of “proud flesh” off when Jim and Peggy came to visit and we have reinforced the foot station so Ed and I can keep trimming in safety. She has not been aggressive to Ed since we changed the routine.

(FYI: Jim & Peggy are SF Zoo elephant keepers).

People can see Tinkerbelle's feet the week before she was put to death at http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/03/1730214.php (photo attached). I also have photos of her feet the days before she left the Zoo. The recent video of Tinkerbelle's feet shows that her feet look similar to Calle's feet after the SF Zoo cut away her toes and "flesh."
The SF Zoo claimed that Calle's feet were "trimmed." See attached photo of Calle's feet the day before she was killed. The SF Zoo literally "trimmed" away her feet. This is the same industry standard that you now defend and claim is "accepted footcare."

This type of "accepted footcare" is one of the reasons we worked to get Tinkerbelle and Lulu transfered to PAWS. Had many of us known this type of "industry-standard footcare" would be continued at PAWS we would not have supported their transfer.

This is a very sad situation; my heart is heavy knowing how much Tinkerbelle suffered.



PAWS <> wrote:

To: Deniz Bolbol

I have read with great interest your malicious and fallacious email to various activists. This is a warning: I will take serious legal action against you unless you retract your misinformed and malicious lies.

At no time has any veterinarian from the San Francisco Zoo, or any other place, cut on Tinkerbelle's feet while she was at PAWS. This process, which was done at the San Francisco Zoo, is accepted footcare practice and is designed to trim away dead flesh, allowing good flesh to grow. However, PAWS made the conscious decision not to allow Tinkerbelle's feet to grow before anything was done. At no time has anyone at PAWS even touched Tinkerbelle's feet with any foot trimming instrument. We conducted foot soaks of apple cider vinegar - a method which PAWS pioneered back in 1993, long before the Elephant Sanctuary was even in existence - and Nolvasan, which is a recognized disinfectant. Our daily logs on Tinkerbelle are in her files here at PAWS, and our staff and our veterinarian are also fully aware of everything that was done for Tinkerbelle. You have had no personal knowledge of anything that was done for Tinkerbelle at this facility, and yet you persist in promulgating falsehoods about her care. While I would choose to ignore your inane and insane ramblings, you have now attacked my personal integrity and the professional ethics of PAWS. I will take legal action immediately if you do not retract your false statements. Dr. Dunker at no time while Tinkerbelle was at PAWS ever performed any medical procedure on her.

Regarding spraying Tinkerbelle's feet with vinegar, that was done in the first few weeks that she was here because she did not accept the rubber foot tubs which we were using. We built her a professional foot soak which she used and enjoyed daily. Not only I but many of her friends who visited her here have long hours of documentation of this process. Please rescind your statements immediately or I will take immediate legal action.

Pat Derby
Director
PAWS



----- Original Message -----
From: Jane Garrison
To: Deniz Bolbol
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:23 AM
Subject: RE: Tinkerbelle


I understand your concern and frustration. However, criticizing each other within the movement does not help the animals...especially if the criticism is public. If you have a concern with Pat Derby or PAWS you should take it up directly with her. These types of emails get into the hands of those who abuse animals and surface again only to harm animals...I have seen it happen before.
Jane Garrison