Shot and left to lie

GADSDEN, ALA. — A month after telling of being attacked and left to watch his clinic burn, Alabama DVM Jerry Handley was charged with second-degree arson, seven counts of animal cruelty and a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report after confessing to police that he set the fire at his clinic and shot himself to make it look like an attack.

Handley, 51, was charged by Etowah County, Ala., May 28 in connection with the April 24 incident. Two dogs and five cats perished in the fire.

DVM Newsmagazine published Handley's original story last month. In that version of events, Handley says he was attacked and that someone shot him and set fire to his clinic, killing the animals, which mostly were his own pets.

However, a month later, Handley reportedly told police he made up the story, set fire to the clinic, then shot himself in an attempt to lend credence to his account.

No information has been released regarding a possible motive.

On May 30, Handley was released on a $100,000 cash bond, according to an Etowah County court spokesperson.

He was taken directly from the county jail to a mental-health treatment facility, as ordered by the district judge handling the case, the court says.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled at press time.