Don't Cross the Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Dr. William Mitchell, a retired veterinarian who moved to the deep south from "up north", quickly became a hit in the small, poor and rural Copper Basin area that resides in what is left of the now-abandoned copper mines in the hills of northern Georgia, Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. A land and economy destroyed by 100 years of careless mining, the area came under the protection of the EPA as a designated Superfund site in 2001. In the years since the mining and chemical industry disappeared from the area, other area employment opportunities have also vanished (including Levis, who preferred to export their labor to Mexico), leaving behind a lot of poor folks. So when someone like Dr. Mitchell comes along -  which isn't very often -  people notice.

Shortly after arriving here 10 years ago Dr. Mitchell saw how badly the area needed truly affordable pet care and set up shop by offering low-cost pet neutering. He quickly saw that much more was needed, so he opened what is now the Copper Basin Vet Clinic and began providing low-cost vet services to the community. If there is one thing everyone knows around here, it's that Dr. Mitchell will take care of your pet whether you can pay him or not. This customer review sums up the community's feeling about Dr. Mitchell very well:

Words are inadequate to describe the eagerness to provide prompt care for my 11 year Bichon Frise who needed emergency removal of a large cyst over his left eye. Dr. Mitchell and his staff moved quickly and skillfully to give my dog, BJ, amazing care. 

What can you say about a veterinary practice where 1: no appointments are necessary - just come in with your pets, 2: the doctor calls you back when you leave a message 3: the fees are beyond being more than reasonable and they don't hassle you for payment,4: the staff are just flat out pleasant and helpful in every way and 5: they have some of the greatest office pets roaming around welcoming you to their home.

Oh, deer

To say that Dr. Mitchell's heart is in the right place would be an understatement. Which is why many in the community were shocked when the Georgia Department of Natural Resources served a search warrant on Dr. Mitchell's home, took two deer that were in his pasture, shot them in the face and then issued a warrant for Dr. Mitchell's arrest. According to Dr. Mitchell:

This doe had been rehab by [name redacted] and myself. She had a permit and I was sub-permitted under her. The deer stayed at my place for 7 years. She would leave for periods of time and then return. Have babies, raise them, and then they would leave and she would come back alone. She was called sugar. Very docile and sweet. She had 3 different sets of babies. The last one had only 3 legs so she stayed around longer.

Not the fawn in question but just as cute

For 7 years this female deer lived legally in Dr. Mitchell's pasture, came and went as she pleased and ate very well. And then one day a neighbor (supposedly) called animal control to complain about the deer, and the case was passed on to DNR Sgt. John Vanlandingham.

VANLANDINGHAM and the DNR hid in the woods around my place for severals days, scaring my grandchild and family.  They were dressed in black and would pop out for seconds and the hide again.
When we left for a vacation they executed a search warrant . My friend [name redacted] went over to see what the problem was after my helper called hysterical because they had threaten to shoot him. They immediately attacked him.
They brutally murdered the 3 legged fawn. The mother sugar walked up to them and was executed by DNR OFFICERS. They felt threatened.

Dr. Mitchell later received a phone call from the Sheriff, who told him DNR had obtained a warrant for his arrest, but the Sheriff refused to serve it (probably because his bullshit meter was pegged to the hilt). Dr. Mitchell was then issued a citation for Having Wildlife Without a  Permit. So why is a licensed veterinarian, who is also properly licensed by the State of Georgia to care for wildlife, being picked on by Sgt. Vanlandingham? It's anyone's guess really, but Dr. Mitchell has a theory.

In September, 2010 there was a big to-do when several rednecks shot a black bear out of season on a local WMA, orphaning two bear cubs. The rednecks brought the bear cubs to Dr. Mitchell, who immediately called State and Federal wildlife officials to let them know, but no one seemed interested. So Dr. Mitchell asked a friend, who is a retired law enforcement officer, for help. The friend contacted someone at DNR, who sent Sgt. Vanlandingham and Cpl. Cody Jones to Dr. Mitchell's clinic. Sgt. Vanlandingham and Cpl. Jones took the cubs from Dr. Mitchell's clinic and shot them. Apparently a bullet is the answer to many questions at DNR.

Being the civic-minded community activist that he is, Mitchell retaliated against the DNR's stupidity by publicly criticizing them on television. The Doc didn't hold back and told a Chattanooga TV station all about the ineptness of Sgt. Vanlandingham and his department.

So Doc thinks the deer are payback for publicly embarrassing Sgt. Vanlandingham and Cpl. Jones. Being a former law enforcement officer myself, I find it hard to believe that a public servant would stoop to revenge for being made to look like an idiot. Just kidding, I've seen so many people use their position of authority to promote their own personal agenda over the years that nothing surprises me anymore. Luckily for Mitchell, Judge Brenda Weaver and the rest of the judiciary around here has a well-tuned bullshit meter and hopes are high that she will see this case for what it really is - an attempt by someone who has had their pride stepped on to get back at a 69 year old retired veterinarian. Mitchell's arraignment is April 11, 2013. We'll be there, as will hundreds of other people that appreciate the contribution that Dr. Mitchell has made to this tiny community. Stay tuned!

This isn't a picture from the Mars Rover. This is what happens when you dump sulfuric acid  on the land for 100 years. Copperhill, Tennessee ca. 1975.

Footnote: I want to make it clear that Sheriff Kirby and the Fannin County Sheriff's Office had nothing to do with the arrest and prosecution of Mitchell. In fact, for all the hell as I raise on this blog about law enforcement, Sheriff Kirby's administration (so far) has been the most honest, fair and professional department this county has had in a long time, and there are few around here that would disagree with this statement.