Vet Accused Of
Beating
Pets Denies Animal
Cruelty Charges
BY RAHN ADAMS
Calabash veterinarian Dr. Ken
neth Ncal will appear in Brunswick
County District Criminal Court Feb.
13 to answer misdemeanor animal
cruelty charges that could jeopar
dize his veterinary 'icense if he is
convicted.
Ncal, 30, of Calabash Animal
Hospital, was arrested last Wednes
day afternoon by the Brunswick
Cgumij* Sheriff's Dvp2r,mnn*
four counts of rniclty tn animals
according to county Animal Control
Supervisor Zclroa Babson, wiwsc
office investigated the case. Ncal
was released from custody last
Wednesday on a S5.000 bond.
"Basically, the charges arc com
pletely false and ridiculous," Neal
told the Beacon last Thursday. "We
want to go to court and prove we
can be exonerated. We feel confi
dent we can do that."
The investigation was prompted
by a Jan. 4 incident involving a 3
1/2-year-old orange tabby cat own
ed by Grissettown resident Debbie
Somersctt, who said she had been
taking her male cat, "Boccphus," to
Neal for the past three years. Ms.
Somersetl said she had no previous
complaints about Neal's care.
Ms. Babson said the other three
charges involve a stray kitten and
two chow dogs owned separately by
Shil'.OtlC n*ciHonlc A I onH Mr* 11
Harrrlsnn pnH T^r^ca Inrrtcun. The
veterinarian is accused of beating
the four animals at the animal hos
pital on separate occasions between
Nov. 7, 1988, and Jan. 4 ? the date
he administered a feline leukemia
test to Ms. Somersctt's cat.
None of the pet owners was
aware of the alleged abuse until Jan.
5, when former animal hospital em
ployee Jane Burroughs contacted
Ms. Somerset! at home and told her
that Neal had beaten the cat and
thrown it against a wall the previous
day, Ms. Babson said. She added
that Ncal and Ms. Burroughs ? who
quit her job after the Jan. 4 inci
dent ? "were having a problem ad
ministering the test."
"It bit and scratched me, and we
tried to restrain it the best we
could." Ncal explained, adding that
he "dropped" the cat when it bit
him. "I've devoted my whole life to
the care and treatment of animals,
and to say 1 did anything abusive to
? hot onimol ic i??c* **
Ncal, a former Alabama resident,
began practicing veterinary medi
cine here in 1986, after working at
animal clinics in Columbia, Tcnn.,
and Paris, Texas. He is a 1985 grad
uate of the Auburn University vet
erinary school.
When Ms. Somerset! filed her
complaint Jan. S with the animal
control office, Ms. Babson had the
cat examined by two other local
veterinarians. Both vets found that
the pet had suffered a broken tooih,
mild concussion, paralysis to one
side of ils body, bruises and bleed
ing from ils lips and gums, Ms.
Babson said. The three animals in
volved in the other charges suffered
no obvious injuries.
"I assumed I had a healthy cat
when I left (the animal hospital),"
Ms. Somcrsctt said. She noted that
after she picked up her cat Jan. 4
around 5 p.m., the pet "was just
kind of out of it the rest of the
? u ?
? ? ?vstvv/vv't UiM>l
Ms. Burroughs the next day, *
looked into the cat's mouth, and the
evidence was there," Ms. Somersett
said.
While Ncal labeled the charges as
accusations of a "disgruntled em
ployee," Ms. Babson indicated that
former employees other than Ms.
Burroughs, who worked at the ani
mal hospital only three weeks, were
interviewed during the month-long
investigation. "It was the former
employees who supplied the infor
mation," she said, adding that ap
proximately four other alleged
abuse -related incidents over the past
three years surfaced during the in
quiry about Neal's veterinary prac
tice.
The maximum possible penalty
for cruelty to animals is imprison
ment of up to a year and/or a fine of
up to S 1 ,000. Also, the license of a
veterinarian wiio is convicted of an
imal cruelty can be revoked or sus
pended, according to Dr. Tom Zwci
Veterinary Medical Board in
Raleigh.
Zweigart. who has served in his
present post since 1973, said last
Thursday that he did not know of
any previous animal cruelty com
plaints involving Brunswick County
veterinarians. "It's uncommon (any
where in the state)," he said. "To
my knowledge, since I've been here
we haven't had a veterinarian's li
cense revoked for cruelty to ani
mals."
Ncal said last Thursday that the
charges against him would not af
feci the operation of his animal
hospital while he awaits trial.
"We're staying open, and we were
quite busy today," he commented.
However, he also indicated that
many of his clicnts had called to ask
about broadcast news reports of his
arrest.
The Beacon also received several
inquiries last Thursday from con
cerned pet owners, including Pat
Jodie? of M!V Jwn fol;.
ing my dog there for the past year
since moving here, and I've never
experienced anything like that,"
Jodicc said, "but this docs have me
worried."
With an appointment to take his
golden retriever to Ncal's office lat
er that morning, Jodice said he
would have to go home and discuss
the situation further with his wife
before keeping the appointment. "I
really feci bad about it, to tell you
the truth," he said. "I treat my dog
like I do one of my sons, and I just
don't know what to do now."
Political Survey Keys
In On County
Clerk Of Court Race
BY RAHN ADAMS
Although only two candidates ? a Democratic incumbent and a Re
publican challenger ? arc running for the Brunswick County Clerk of
Court's office, the county was awash with rumors last week that former
Clerk of Court Greg Bellamy was "testing the waters" with a telephone
survey.
Sue Bullock, owner of Independent Opinion Rcscaich and Com
munications in Wilmington, confirmed last Thursday that her company
was conducting a phone poll of registered Brunswick County voters.
She said the survey involved "issues and personalities" in local politics.
Calling the survey a "piggy-back poll," Ms. Bullock indicated that
the work was being done on behalf of several candidates, but that all of
the candidates involved "arc not necessarily paying for it directly." She
added that not all of the candidates would receive survey results, which
were to be available early this week. The political filing period closed
Monday at noon.
While survey questions dealt with candidates in various county and
district races, the poll was obviously slanted to gather information on
the local clcrk of court's racc. Among other questions, voters were
asked to comment on .Clerk of Court Diana Morgan's performance and
on Bellamy's chances of defeating Ms. Morgan in an election.
Ms. Morgan, a Democrat who tiled lor re-election on the first day ot
filing Jan. 2, was the lone candidate for clcrk of court until Republican
Donald Willetts entered the race Monday on the last day of the filing
period.
According to local election records since 1950, only one local clcrk
of court candidate ? long-time Clcrk of Court Jack E. Brown ? has been
elected without either primary or general election opposition; Brown
ran unopposed in 1966.
Appointed to the clerk's post in the fall of 1987, Ms. Morgan won
re-election to a special two-year term in the fall of 1988. The term was
set at two years in order to complete the unexpired term of Bellamy,
who resigned in August 1 987.
Another survey cjiscstion dcsling spcciHcslIy with Bciiumy iiked
voters if they knew Bellamy's current occupation. Bellamy, owner of
Bellamy Realty at Boone's Neck, resigned during his third term as clcrk
of court, after he pleaded guilty to a cocaine possession charge and was
sentenced to two years of probation. His probation was terminated in
early 1989 on a recommendation from N.C. Attorney General Lacy
Thomburg.
In a series of questions dealing with preferred qualities for a public
office-holder, the pollster also asked, in general, if a minor drug viola
tion would affect the respondent's support of a candidate.
When contacted last Thursday by the Beacon, Bellamy said he was
aware of the poll; however, he would neither confirm nor deny that he
had personally authorized the survey. Ms. Bullock also would not iden
tify the candidate or candidates who hired her firm.
"If there's any chance that the press would treat it differently than
they've treated past events, it might be something worth looking at,"
Bellamy said last Thursday of any future run for public office. "My in
clination now is not to get involved one way or the other."
Bellamy also suggested that "a number of people" had possibly au
thorized the poll. County Democratic Party Chairman Glen Peterson
and county GOP Chairman Malcolm Grissett both told the Beacon that
their parties were not responsible for the survey.
Peterson said he first heard about the poll last Thursday morning.
Grissett said Monday that he wasn't aware of the survey but added he
had heard that some candidates ? including Bellamy ? were "testing the
waters on their own."
The Republican chairman noted he also had heard that John Ram
sey ? an unsuccessful GOP clcrk of court candidate in 1988 ? was con
sidering another run for the post Ramsey ? who did not file ? said
Monday that he was not involved in the poll. His name was not men
tioned in the survey.
Willetts, a political newcomer who filed for this year's clcrk of court
race as a Republican, also said that he did not have a part in authorizing
the political poll made by the Wilmington firm.
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CORPS REJECTS DREDGING PLAN
State To Examine Opening Eastern Channel
HY DOUG RUTTER
Slate environmentalists will study
the practicality of dredging Eastern
Channel behind Long Beach and
look further into possible sources of
pollution in Lockwood Folly River.
The N.C. Division of Environ
mental Management decided on the
study on the heels of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers' icvcni uccision
against dredging of the channel,
which originally linked the Lock
wood Folly River and Atlantic
Ocean.
In October, the N.C. Environ
mental Management Commission
adopted a resolution endorsing a
plan to dredge the channel in order
to flush pollution out of Lockwood
Folly River and asked the Corps of
Engineers to evaluate the plan.
However, Ll Col. Thomas C.
Suermann, chief of the Corps of En
gineers' Wilmington office, said
dredging Eastern Channel would
not be an "effective solution" to the
river's water quality problems, in a
Jan. 10 letter to the state Division of
Environmental Management.
The main reason for the Corps'
position is that the two major fac
tors that control water flow from the
river to the ocean ? distance from
the ocean to the mouth of the river
and the difference in water depth
between high and low tides ? would
hardly be altered by dredging.
Suermann says in the letter
there's really nothing that can be
done to make a significant increase
in the flow in and out of the river.
"it appears to us that the pattern
of pollution in the river is consistent
with the land development pattern
in ilic aica anu liiai iiie giauuai clo
sure of the Eastern Channel is not
the reason for the increase in bacte
ria in the Lockwood Folly River,"
Suermann writes. "Deepening the
Eastern Channel is not expected to
result in anything more than mini
mal navigation benefits, although
maintenance costs would probably
rise tremendously."
The letter further states that the
district office does not have funds to
study water quality in the Lock
wood Folly River and docs not an
ticipate receiving funds for such a
project in the near future.
Alse, Suermann says special au
thorization from Congress would be
required to use federal dredging
funds for any purpose other than
navigational. Tnc Corps caimoi
dredge for water quality reasons
with authorization.
While the Corps is convinced the
benefits of dredging Eastern Chan
nel would not justify the expense,
the state will continue to evaluate
the proposal.
John Dorncy, spccial projects su
pervisor with the Division of Envir
onmental Management, said he will
project costs and find out which of
the various state and federal permits
would be needed to dredge the
channel.
Also, he will study aerial photo
graphs of iiic Easicm Channel dat
ing back to 1938 and determine
when the channel started to fill up
with sand.
Domey said work relating direct
ly to Eastern Channel should be
completed in early April, while the
ongoing search for river pollution
sources could last into the summer.
An earlier state study concluded
that septic tanks and stormwater
runoff are the two most likely sour
ces of pollution.
Following the work, Domey said
the state may recommend a hydro
logical model of the channel be
built to help determine what would
happen if it wa3 dredged.
Wallace Smith, a spokesman for
the Save Our Shellfish (SOS) orga
nization, said the Corps of Engine
ers was "grasping at straws" in its
list of reasons for rejecting the
dredging plan.
SOS officials have been strong
supporters of dredging the Eastern
Channel since Holden Beach resi
dent John Holden introduced the
idea at an SOS meeting last March.
Referring to Sucrmann's letter.
Smith said the pattern of pollution
in the river is not only consistent
with land development patterns, but
also with the siitaiiuti in Eastern
Channel. He said reopening the
channel would also create a more
direct route between the nver aiiu
ocean.
'The Corps just can't admit that
they made an error in dredging the
present inlet," said Smith. "The
most depressing thing to me is see
ing the historical importance and
great economic benefits of ihc re
sources being ignored."
There were two dredge boats
working at the existing inlet early
this week doing maintenance dredg
ing of the inlet and inlet crossing. In
the last two years. Smith said the
Corps of Engineers has spent more
than SI million to dredge the inlet.
However, lie said it's often filled in
with sand within three weeks of the
dredging.
Based on Corps of Engineers'
ligures lur uicugmg sand, SiTuth
said the group has estimated that the
Eastern Channel can be dredged for
$600,000. That amount of money
would allow the mile-long channel
to be cut 100 feet wide and 10 feet
deep at mean low tide, he said.
Elections Set For May 8 Primary
(Continued From Page i-A)
wine on the Democratic ticket.
King retired last summer as assis
tant superintendent of the Colum
bus County Public Schools.
The May Democratic primary
will decide the office, since there
arc no Republican candidates for
the post. The 14th House District
covers Brunswick County and parts
of Pender and New Hanover coun
ties.
State Senator
Two candidates filed for the 18th
District State Senate race. Demo
cratic incumbent R.C. Soles Jr. of
Tabor City will face Republican
challengcr Leroy Stocks of White
ville in the November general elec
tion. The 1 8th Senate District cov
ers Brunswick, Columbus and Bla
den counties, and part of Cum
berland County.
District Attorney
Three Democrats and one Re
publican arc running for the 13th
District Attorney's post being va
cated by Democratic U.S. Senate
candidate Mike Easley of South
port The 13th Judicial District cov
ers Brunswick, Columbus and Bla
den counties.
Democratic DA candidates arc
Rex Gore of Shallotle, Tom Ald
ridge Jr. of Route 2, Whiteville, and
Michael T. Mills of Bolton. The
only Republican candidate is C.
Franklin Stanley of Tabor City.
District Court Judge
A Brunswick County attorney ?
Wayne Long of Shalloue ? filed in
the past week to oppose incumbent
David G. Wall of Elizabetntown for
a district court judgeship. Both are
Democrats; no Republicans filed.
Superior Court Judge
Current Chief District Court
Judge William C. Gore Jr. of White
ville is assured of moving up to the
superior court bench. The Democrat
more crowded than the Brunswick
County sheriff's contest. Five
Democrats besides Southport's
Mike Easley have filed, including
Robert L. Han nan of Greensboro,
R.P. "Bo" Thomas of Henderson
ville, Harvey Gantt of Charlotte,
Lloyd Garner of Thomasville and
John Ingram of Cary.
Incumbcnt Jesse Helms is op
posed on the Republican ticket by
George Wimbish of Charlotte.
has no opposition. Gore's dislict
court post will be filled by appoint
ment after he assumes the new su
perior court judgeship.
U.S. Congressman
Republican candidates for the 7th
Congressional District seat this year
are Fries Shaffncr of Wilmington
and Robert Anderson of Fayettevil
le. Incumbent Democrat Charles G.
Rose III is unopposed.
U.S. Senator
This year's U.S. Senate race is
VFW Plans Dance
Calabash VFW Post 7288 will
sponsor a dance Friday, Feb. 16,
from 8 p.m. until 1 1 p.m. at the post
at Trader's Village in Calabash.
Steve Pethel of Myrtle Beach,
S.C., will provide the music.
Members and guests arc wel
come. Tickets cost $4 per person
and will be sold at the door.
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