Target: Britney McMahan, Director, Indiana Board of Veterinary Medicine
Goal: Revoke licenses of veterinarians found guilty of any crimes involving animals.
Justice has once again eluded animals subjected to organized cruelty. Dawn Marie Gau, a veterinarian accused of providing neglectful care to several animals at beagle-breeding Virginia facility Envigo, pled guilty to the charges. In return, more serious charges related to alleged veterinary malpractice were dropped. For her admitted wrongdoing, Gau only received probation and a mandated education course.
But the injustice does not end at the slap-on-the-wrist punishment. Despite her confessed and alleged cruel reactions — and despite her involved role at a facility from which thousands of beagles exploited as medical test subjects were rescued — Gau’s veterinary license remained active. In fact, regulators with full knowledge of the charges against Gau willingly renewed her license in 2025.
Sign the petition below to demand more stringent guardrails around licensure for individuals entrusted with the well-being of vulnerable animals.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director McMahan,
Dr. Dawn Marie Gau admitted in court to failing in her duty to provide proper care for dogs afflicted with severe dental disease. She was also accused of performing improper and painful procedures on multiple animals at the beagle breeding facility where she was employed. Investigators were so concerned about the condition of these dogs that they removed thousands of beagles from the premises.
Despite being made aware of these troubling allegations, Indiana’s veterinary licensing board renewed Gau’s certification. It took involvement from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to make the board cognizant of the veterinarian’s admitted wrongdoing. While justice was meagerly measured in the criminal case, the state board should have exercised the most severe penalty against Gau to ensure this woman never has the go-ahead to dishonor her oath and harm another innocent animal.
Please make certain such an injustice never happens again. Strengthen and expedite the process for license revocation. Show pet parents across Indiana that responsible leadership will not fail them.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Nastya Korenkova
