Latest news with #veterinary
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Gender-critical lawyer banned from vets denies abusing staff
A gender-critical lawyer has denied accusations of harassing staff at a veterinary practice from which she was banned. Allison Bailey, a retired criminal defence barrister, is suing Palmerston Veterinary Group's surgery in Walthamstow, east London, after she was 'expelled' from the practice for allegedly showing 'rude' behaviour towards staff. But Ms Bailey denies the allegation, claiming the real reason she was banned in January 2023 was because of her gender-critical beliefs. The barrister was previously involved in a high-profile dispute with her chambers and Stonewall, the LGBT rights group, over claims that she was discriminated against as she believes that being female is an 'immutable biological fact'. During her campaign, JK Rowling praised her as 'a heroine to me and innumerable other feminists'. Ms Bailey says her gender-critical views were opposed by Dr Liz Munro, a former staff member at the veterinary practice. Now the surgery is fighting Ms Bailey's claim, saying the reason she was told not to return was because of its 'zero tolerance policy' on abusive behaviour towards staff. While Ms Bailey insists she had a positive relationship with the practice, which treated her two dogs Poppy and Jonty for 13 years, it is claimed the client shouted at a practitioner when she was told that one of her pets was overweight. The court heard two recordings of phone calls between Ms Bailey and vet staff during which there was no obvious argument or conflict. In the witness box, the claimant refuted the allegations that she had been abusive towards members of staff. Ms Bailey also denied claims by the practice that one of its vets, Neil Hampson, had warned a receptionist that she could be 'very intimidating and quite scary'. She rejected suggestions of 'an incident where you lost your temper and shouted at him for saying that your dog was overweight'. 'Absolutely not,' she told the judge. 'Neither of my dogs could be described as overweight. I've never shouted or screamed at anyone in [the] veterinary practice.' She claimed that the vets had been extremely supportive in the run-up to her dog Poppy being put down in 2020, after which they even sent her a condolence card. Gus Baker, representing the veterinary surgery, told the judge: 'In this case, the claimant alleges that she was deregistered as a patient from the defendant's veterinary practice... because of her gender-critical beliefs. This is denied. 'It is surprising the allegation has ever been made in circumstances in which there is no documentary evidence to support the assertion the claimant makes.' Akua Reindorf KC, Ms Bailey's barrister, criticised the veterinary practice for failing to call key witnesses to give evidence, adding that no other clients had been expelled from the practice under the same circumstances. Ms Bailey's lawyers said there were 'a handful of times' where the claimant felt the practice's services were not up to standard, but these issues were then 'resolved to her satisfaction'. In a previous hearing, it was revealed that Ms Bailey was banned following an incident in January 2023 when she went to the practice to order worming and flea treatment for Jonty. Ms Bailey is alleged to have become 'very angry' when the medication she wanted wasn't available, asking the receptionist 'what she was going to do about it'. Ms Bailey was deregistered as a client on January 28, which was followed by a letter asking her to 'seek the services of another veterinary practice'.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
JK Rowling's barrister friend says she was banned by her vet for her gender-critical beliefs - but clinic staff say it was because she was rude when told dog was too fat
A friend and supporter of JK Rowling has claimed she was banned by a vet from their practice due to her gender critical beliefs - but staff say the real reason was she became 'rude and difficult' after being told her dog was too fat. Retired criminal defence barrister Allison Bailey is suing for £25,000 after she was 'expelled' from Palmerston Veterinary Group's practice Walthamstow, northeast London in January 2023 on grounds of her 'unacceptable' behaviour. She denies that she 'lost her temper and shouted', but one employee at the practice said she had 'never had to deal with such a rude client ever'. Internal emails said staff were 'scared' of the former barrister and avoided dealing with her 'whenever possible'. The ban followed an incident in which it is claimed she was rude to a receptionist when told the surgery did not currently have flea and worming medication for her dog, at which point she became 'very angry'. Ms Bailey claims there was no justification for the ban and no basis to complaints about her alleged overbearing conduct towards staff - and is now taking legal action against Linnaeus Veterinary Ltd for compensation. In court this week, she refuted allegations that one of the vets at the practice had 'warned' a receptionist that she 'could be very intimidating and quite scary' and denied there was 'an incident' with the same vet during which she lost her temper and shouted at him for saying that her dog was 'overweight'. Ms Bailey insists she had a good relationship with the practice throughout the 13 years they treated her two dogs, Poppy and Jonty, and had received a condolence card with flower seeds from them after Poppy had to be put down. Her lawsuit is based on claims her 'protected characteristic' - having gender-critical beliefs - have been breached by the ban, which she blames on former staff member Dr Liz Munro. But the practice is fighting her claim and says the reason she was told not to come back was because her actions had triggered its 'zero tolerance policy' on abusive behaviour towards staff. In court documents, her lawyers claim Ms Bailey was 'directly discriminated against' by the practice due to beliefs which are protected by the 2010 Equality Act, and says an internal memo which branded her 'absolutely vile' was probably prompted by disapproval of her beliefs, rather than concerns about her conduct towards staff. Ms Bailey claims she was a long-standing client who had always treated staff with respect, praising the practice in 2020 for the support she received leading up to her Airedale Terrier, Poppy, being put down. Her barrister Akua Reindorf KC played two recordings of phone calls between her and vet staff during which there was no obvious argument or conflict. In the witness box giving evidence, Ms Bailey denied claims by the practice that one of its vets, Neil Hampson, had warned a receptionist that she could be 'very intimidating and quite scary'. She also denied there had been 'an incident where you lost your temper and shouted at him for saying that your dog was overweight'. 'Absolutely not,' she told the judge. 'Neither of my dogs could be described as overweight. I've never shouted or screamed at anyone in my veterinary practice.' She also refuted claims of another incident involving her dog Jonty where she was said to have become angry 'after a request for information from a pet hotel (when) Jonty's entire medicals records were sent'. 'They were hugely apologetic. I deny I was aggressive or sarcastic,' she said. In written arguments lodged with the court, Gus Baker, for the vets' practice, told the judge: 'In this case, the claimant alleges that she was deregistered as a patient from the defendant's veterinary practice... because of her gender-critical beliefs. This is denied. 'It is surprising the allegation has ever been made in circumstances in which there is no documentary evidence to support the assertion the claimant makes. 'The claimant's case is that she was deregistered on the basis that she was unpleasant to members of staff working for the practice, culminating in an interaction of 18 January 2023. 'The claimant does not believe she was unpleasant to staff, including during the 18 January interaction. Accordingly, she draws the inference that there must be animus against her for another reason and that reason must be her gender-critical beliefs. 'The obvious problem with this logic is that it rests on the claimant being able to reliably judge how other people perceive her. 'It is no doubt true that being de-registered from a veterinary practice because of behaviour is likely to be a distressing experience for anyone. 'It is understandable that the claimant has sought to find, for herself, a different explanation rather than accept that the way she was perceived by reception staff because of the way she interacted with them was rude, unpleasant and even 'vile'. 'The claimant's case is that the preponderance of contemporaneous evidence of her rudeness can only be explained by a conspiracy against her because of her protected beliefs. 'There is a simpler explanation... the way she sees herself, perhaps in times of stress regarding the health of her pets, is not how other people always perceive her.' Ms Reindorf KC, in her arguments for Ms Bailey, criticised the practice for failing to call key witnesses to give live evidence, adding: 'No documentary evidence is adduced of the claimant having been 'warned' by Mr Hampson about her communication style, nor of Mr Hampson having asked her to make an apology'. She criticised 'the paucity and dubious character of the documentary evidence relating to the claimant's alleged poor conduct,' adding: 'No other client of the defendant has been expelled in remotely similar circumstances'. She told the judge that it is for the vets' practice to prove that they did not discriminate against Ms Bailey's protected gender-critical characteristic, rather than for her to prove that they did. 'The claimant has shifted the burden of proof and... the defendant cannot satisfy the court that it did not do the act alleged or that the act was in no sense whatsoever because of the claimant's gender-critical belief,' she said. At a previous hearing, the court was told the ban resulted after an incident in January 2023 when she went in to order worming and flea treatment for Jonty. Linnaeus' lawyers say Ms Bailey became 'very angry' when told that the medication she wanted wasn't available, asking the receptionist 'what she was going to do about it'. Records from Jonty's notes referred to Ms Bailey also allegedly stating, 'when I ask you to do something for me, I expect it to be done'. Lawyers for the practice insist the volatile behaviour was 'not a one-off', citing previous conduct which led to one receptionist branding her 'very rude'. During an exchange of emails with the practice, Ms Bailey had stated she was thinking of leaving because she was dissatisfied, and an internal email within the practice emerged, written the following day, which read: 'I don't know what happened in this particular time, but this woman is absolutely vile. 'She is one of the worst Walthamstow clients, she is very rude and treats everyone really badly at every interaction. Everyone at the practice is scared of her and avoids dealing with her whenever possible.' Ms Bailey received a letter 'de-registering' her as a client on January 28, followed by another reading: 'a satisfactory professional relationship between a client and his/her veterinary surgeon must be founded on the basis of mutual trust and confidence. 'It is clear that there is no longer such a basis to our relationship. Professional services will no longer be provided for your animals and ask you to seek the services of another veterinary practice.' Ms Bailey's lawyers say she had visited the practice in relation to her two dogs around 120 times over 13 years and estimate there were 'a handful of times, around half a dozen times, when issues emerged regarding aspects of the service which the claimant at the time felt were not up to the usual standard. 'From time to time, she raised these issues, as any client is entitled to do so, and which were then resolved to her satisfaction.' Ms Bailey was previously involved in a high-profile legal clash with her barristers' chambers and the LGBTQ+ rights group, Stonewall, over claims that she was discriminated against due to her belief that being female is an 'immutable biological fact'. She founded the LGB Alliance and accused Stonewall of 'trying to silence and vilify women like me who have genuine concerns about how its approach to trans inclusivity conflicts with the protections, safety and dignity of women, girls, children and LGB people.' It was during that campaign she won the support of JK Rowling, who praised her as 'a heroine to me and innumerable other feminists'.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World of James Herriot pledges lifetime sponsorship of Zeke the parrot
A North Yorkshire museum dedicated to a beloved vet has sponsored a parrot at a nearby sanctuary. The World of James Herriot in Thirsk has pledged lifetime support for Zeke, a green-winged macaw at Morndyke Parrot Sanctuary. Ian Ashton, managing director of the museum, said: "Alf Wight (James Herriot) wrote stories about his experiences with birds, and, in several memoirs, he cares for Gerry the parrot, whom he notes has been with the household 'for years and years.' "We wanted to support this very worthy local cause, and chose Zeke for his beautiful red plumage, which perfectly matches the red door entrance of the World of James Herriot." Yvonne Welsh, sponsorship co-ordinator at Morndyke Parrot Sanctuary, said: "We are so pleased that the World of James Herriot has aligned its support for Zeke at Morndyke Parrot Sanctuary - it's a perfect collaboration." Zeke hatched in 2018 and was brought to Morndyke Parrot Sanctuary following his rescue.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Trump mulls plan to attack Iran
US President Donald Trump has reportedly approved, but not enacted plans, to attack Iran, with US officials preparing for a military strike in the coming days. Global leaders are urging Iran and Israel to de-escalate the conflict as both countries continue to trade missile strikes for a sixth day. The latest official data shows it's becoming harder for those out of work to land a job despite Australia's unemployment rate remaining steady in May. And in outback Queensland where vet practices are overwhelmed with animals and short of vets, there's a move to the use of telehealth and web-vet services for non-emergency appointments.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Farmers, vets say product approval too slow
New targets have been set to reduce the wait for new agricultural and horticultural products, as well as vet medicines. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Farmers' representatives are worried that plans to speed up access to new agri-chemicals won't be fast enough to compete on the world stage. Those concerns over pace of reform are shared by vets wanting to use new medicines. The Ministers for the Environment and Food Safety have set targets to reduce the queues to approve new agricultural and horticultural products and veterinary medicines. Regulation Minister David Seymour says the changes will speed up the application process. Kathryn discusses the change with David Birkett, Federated Farmers arable industry spokesperson and Kevin Bryant, CEO of the Veterinary Association.
