Supporters of an embattled Fort Worth veterinarian are going public with the "Stand Up for Dr. Tierce" movement.
The Fort Worth Police Department charged Millard Lucien "Lou" Tierce with one count of animal cruelty after an early May inspection of his Camp Bowie Animal Clinic.
Now, longtime clients of the Fort Worth vet have voiced a movement in support.
"Let them know how important his work is here," said Jacqueline Ballard, a longtime client of Tierce, in a YouTube video meant to encourage other satisfied clients to contact the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners on behalf of their vet.
The inspection of the veterinarian's clinic was prompted by the story of "Sid," a dog whose owners thought Tierce had euthanized last fall. The animal was found alive at the clinic and used, in part, as a source of blood transfusions for other animals.
The dog's owners have since sued Tierce for $1 million in damages.
Investigators found unsanitary conditions inside the clinic, according to reports from police, and at least five dogs that a separate veterinarian brought in for the investigation told police should have been put down long ago.
"He may not be in full compliance, but the Texas veterinary board, [but] they're strong enough to fix this. They know how to look at it and not just take his license," Bill Watson, an organizer of standupfordrtierce.com, told NBC 5 on Tuesday. "We wholeheartedly believe they're putting a candle out with a firehose."
The state veterinary board temporarily suspended Tierce's license to practice following a hearing in Austin, attended by many of the longtime Fort Worth vet's clients.
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You can view the YouTube video here.
