The complainant's old horse could no longer stand so Folkers was called to the house to euthanize the
horse. According to the complainant his mom came along too. The complainant says that Folkers tried to
shear the horse to insert a catheter, but the clippers were too dull and gave up. She says he had other
problems but finally injected the horse with some chemicals and the horse began making running movements.
She was told this was normal. She says that Folkers then gave the remainder of the euthanasia protocol
but that the horse stubbornly remained alive. Folkers then gave the horse even more, but the horse again
refused to die. Folkers allegedly commented that he'd heard this stuff didn't work and wondered if he
had a bad batch. The complainant asked if the horse was going to die and Folkers allegedly said "I sure
hope so." Concerned about the horse's suffering, the complainant suggested they shoot the horse in the
head and went back to the house to begin finding someone with a gun. When she returned, she says she
found Folkers and his mother squatting over the horse's head; when she approached, they moved away
quickly and the horse was gasping for air. The complainant states that she asked if they were trying
to hold his nostrils shut and Folkers admitted that they were. A neighbor then showed up and shot
the horse in the head.
Folkers' reply is about one paragraph and details that even though he administered the euthanasia
medications the horse's heartbeat had come back from the dead ("return of spontaneous circulation").
He also states that despite giving three times the recommended dose of euthanasia medication the
horse still wouldn't die. In his own words, "The client/owner then called a neighbor over to humanely
euthanize the patient by gunshot. A 45-caliber handgun was used and the patient was confirmed dead
by lack of corneal reflex." There's a Kathy Folkers listed as a witness.
The Investigative Committee was puzzled why four bottles of Euthasol didn't kill the horse,
suspecting that it wasn't even getting into a vein. They also decided that holding a horse's nostrils
shut isn't an acceptable form of euthanasia. The Investigative Committee found a violation that was
later changed by the veterinary board. Folkers was required to take eight hours of continuing
education and pay a $100 fine.
ARS 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to provide professionally acceptable procedures for attempting to facilitate the horse's death by holding the nostrils closed.
A.R.S. § 32-2232 (12) as it relates to A.A.C. R3-11-501 (1) for not using current professional and scientific knowledge - not understanding how compromised the horse was with respect to hypovolemia and hypothermia, therefore, not responding to medications administered, and failure to provide considerate treatment to the animal owner for needing to euthanize the horse via gunshot versus considering other options, such as a pneumothorax.
Penalties:
Probation (1 year)
Continuing education (4 hours in humane euthanasia in large animals)
Continuing education (4 hours in hypothermia/shock and how it affects the patient’s metabolism)
Civil penalty ($100)
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical
Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant
links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board
actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also
been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information
will be included here.