Emily Haxby has been a member of the Gage County Board of Supervisors since 2020 and worked with Jennafer Glaesemann at Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic in Pickrell from 2013 through 2023. There are questions swirling whether Haxby witnessed and failed to report animal abuse at the clinic. Later, Haxby attempted to improperly send public dollars to the clinic, which we now know could have led to additional animals being abused.
According to reporting by KETV and a search warrant for the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic, throughout the spring of 2023 the Gage County Sheriff’s office received numerous calls from concerned citizens about horse abuse and neglect at the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinics in Pickrell and Beatrice.
For weeks, numerous citizens have been calling the Gage County Sheriff's Office concerned about the welfare of some of the horses there and at a clinic in Pickrell owned by the same person. ‘The horses had no food and water of any kind, no shelter. They were in a gravel parking lot,’ Ashley Bothern said. She lives near the Pickrell Veterinary Clinic and called it an ongoing problem.
Workers at the clinic – but not Emily Haxby – also helped bring the conditions of the clinic to light by sharing behind the scenes photos from the Blue Valley Clinic.
In August 2023, Jennifer Glaesemann was cited for 37 counts of animal neglect, after an investigation involving several horses at her veterinary clinics in Beatrice and Pickrell. More than a dozen horses between the two clinics have died.
In March 2024, negotiations between Glaesemann and the Gage County Attorney resulted in Glaesemann avoiding criminal charges in return for giving up ownership of her remaining horses. She has also narrowly avoided having her veterinarian license revoked for the time being. There has been outrage from local residents that Glaesemann won’t face any consequences for her neglect and abuse of the horses in her care. Some residents are wondering if Glaesemann is getting special treatment due to her relationship with Gage County Supervisor Emily Haxby.
This is not the first time that Jennafer Glaesemann has come under fire. In 2018 Glaesemann had her veterinarian license put on probation for a period of one year as part of a settlement for “failure to meet the standard of care in documentation and treatment” of two animals (a cat treated in Pickrell and a dog treated in Beatrice) in 2015. In regards to the cat treated in Pickrell, the pet was diagnosed as having constipation, and the treatment given was “an enema [under sedation] with digital evacuation.” According to the court records, there was no documentation of the risks associated with this type of treatment, no documentation of who performed the treatment, and no documentation that the owner gave consent for the treatment. In the case of the dog, “a non-routine, lengthy procedure” was performed “that had more than average risk;” there was no documentation regarding the dosage of several controlled substances and the execution of surgery was below the standard of care.
Haxby was working for Glaesemann during this time.
In her role as a Gage County Supervisor, Emily Haxby made an effort to divert the County’s money to the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic. In October 2021, the Gage County Board approved a contract with the Beatrice Humane Society for services. During the meeting, Haxby “expressed concerns” about the Human Society taking animals to clinics in Lincoln and Omaha to perform spay and neuter services instead of working with local vets. Jennafer Glaesemann of Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic attended the meeting and complained about having not been approached by the Human Society to perform the services. In response, the Shelter Director said “there have been a higher level of complications with procedures performed by area veterinarians…adding the humane society is making the best decisions for its animals.”
The tragedy of the horses under the Blue Valley Clinic’s care is only the most recent instance of a history of abuse and neglect by this Clinic. Has Blue Valley been allowed to continue operating due to friendships with powerful people like Emily Haxby? Will voters care about Emily’s involvement?
