“I look at this as a new beginning,” said Alinovi. “I’m glad to be done with all of this stuff because I’m tired of being persecuted.”
On Tuesday, Alinovi agreed to surrender her license indefinitely ("99 years") in connection with a complaint filed with the Indiana Attorney General’s Office in July.
The complaint said Alinovi was physically abusive to animals in her care. It also accuses her of killing some animals. Former employee Sharon Baumis said she saw the abuse firsthand.
“She would kick the animals if they would come in through the doggy door,” said Baumis. “The boarders, if they came in, she would pick them up by the collar and just toss them in the back yard. You know, wouldn’t even care. Just pick them up and throw them.”
Alinovi said the majority of the allegations from the original complaint aren’t true, but admitted to News 18 that she once kicked a dog named Obi to protect a cat recovering from surgery.
“I am not an abuser,” said Alinovi. “I do not abuse animals. If kicking Obi over there, out of the way, is abuse in somebody’s eyes, then that’s what I have to live with.”
Alinovi said disgruntled employees are responsible for the complaint.
News 18 asked Alinovi, what benefit the employees would get out of taking away her license?
“Self-satisfaction,” said Alinovi.
Several of Alinovi’s clients showed up at the clinic Friday to show their support. None of them believe the allegations.
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| Three women in denial of the truth |
“Absolutely not,” said client Sandy Blackburn. “He was happy to see her, not a problem, wagged his tail, loved her, loved everybody. It’s not a big deal, and I don’t understand why all of this is happening.”
Client Joyce Sichts said, “It’s like the whole thing has snowballed and got out of hand. No, I don’t believe them. I have never seen anything but kindness, caring for my dog. She loves my dog.”
It's not what she did in front of clients, but what she did behind closed doors, Mrs. Sichts.
The amended settlement, signed Tuesday, removed some of the initial allegations.
Although the original settlement would have resulted in Alinovi eventually getting her license back, she said she wasn’t going to admit to things she didn’t do.
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| Sandy Blackburn, why would she abuse your dog in front of you?? |
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| Mrs. Sichts doesn't want to believe the truth |
“Most of them were lies, and I couldn’t in good conscience do that,” said Alinovi. “I couldn’t walk away from a settlement where I would potentially get my license back in 6-9 months and be a liar.”
Alinovi said she’ll miss running her clinic, but looks forward to what the future will bring.
“I feel good about where we are,” said Alinovi. “Had I signed the settlement that they proposed last week, that would have been unacceptable. My clients would have been embarrassed to call me their veterinarian. I would have been embarrassed to come back. There’s a future this way.”
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| Nobody agrees to a lifetime ban unless they had some good evidence against them. Clearly Alinovi knew the jig was up. |
Baumis stands by her allegations.
“She’s a monster inside and she’ll never be punished the way she should, but she loved being a vet. I mean, she loved the money, so that’s taken away from her,” said Baumis. “I guess that will have to do.”
(WLFI - Feb 5, 2016)
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