I have been to the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen for three days now and have only heard two witnesses. These things take a long time. I am not going to tell you any of what is said until it is all over. Stayed tuned.

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PETA (People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals) just sent me a letter describing what they found in an undercover investigation. This concerns PETCO and PetSmart stores that sell animals. I have always wondered what they do with the pets that cannot be sold. Well, this might be the answer in some places.

"One female worker put live hamsters in a bag and bashed them against a table in an attempt to kill them, a crude process that did not kill them outright." said PETA.

Oh my God! If this is true the workers must be arrested for animal cruelty. What kind of girl could do such a thing anyway? I would have quit and reported it immediately. We must demand a law that a store cannot bring in any new pets until all are sold. If you want to complain to the stores, call PETCO at 1-888-824-7257, and PetSmart can be reached at 1-800-738-1385.

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Most vets are absolutely honest, professional and caring, but sometimes a bad apple happens. Published in 2002 by Michigan State University College of Law, this was a case where a vet had his license pulled for six months due to the following: "failure to inform animal owners of actual conditions of animals, failure to inform owners of deaths of animals under his care, failure to administer timely treatment, improper record controls on animals, failure to maintain clean and sanitary conditions, lack of proper control over animals, misrepresentation to the public that one of the members of his staff was a doctor of veterinary medicine."

You do not have to back down when you think something is wrong. Here are tips from the Animal Legal Defense Fund (aldf.org):

1. Seek out a qualified, competent, and caring veterinarian.

2. Do not be reluctant to seek a second or even third opinion regarding the diagnosis of your companion animal. There are specialists for animals just as there are for humans.

3. Monitor your companion animal's stay at the hospital or clinic. Ask questions if you do not understand what services the veterinarian is tendering. Trust your common sense.

4. If you suspect malpractice, immediately seek an independent and confidential second opinion. If your animal has died, preserve the remains and quickly take the body to another veterinarian (preferably a college of veterinary medicine) for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

5. Request all medical records regarding treatment, including x-rays if taken.

6. If you have received a second opinion that supports your concern about malpractice, immediately seek expert legal advice.