PHYSICAN PROFILE: Debbie Wilson, M.D.: An Animal Advocate
 Debbie
Wilson, M.D., has always been surrounded by animals. As a child,
there weren’t many pets her family didn’t have. As
the oldest sibling, she took care of the family’s rabbits,
birds, iguanas, rats, dogs, cats, hamsters, and guinea pigs. That
experience, and her childhood proximity to vegetarian grandparents,
set the stage for a lifetime of compassion and involvement in animal
issues.
Dr. Wilson
went to college with the dream of becoming a veterinarian. However,
after working in veterinary clinics while in college, she decided
to go to medical school instead because she was disturbed by the
callousness with which people treated their own companion animals.
Dr. Wilson became an obstetrician, and over the course of 17 years,
she delivered more than 5,000 babies. She now has a gynecological
practice in Scottsdale, Ariz., and performs over 400 laparoscopic
hysterectomies a year. Despite her busy medical practice, Dr. Wilson
finds time to help animals in myriad ways. She runs a nonprofit
parrot rescue called Feathers Foundation, which takes in unwanted
parrots. “Parrots often outlive people’s interest level,” she
said. She has 10 rescued horses on 28 acres of land in Prescott,
Ariz., and fosters several dogs through the Lucky Dog Rescue.
As
an Arizona resident, Dr. Wilson has spoken out against the proposal
by Covance Laboratories to build a huge new animal experimentation
laboratory. Dr. Wilson has written letters to the editor about
the negative effects the facility would have on the city of Chandler.
She participated in a news conference to educate the public about
the dangers of a Covance facility. Dr. Wilson also introduces a
new PCRM video that shows disturbing undercover footage from inside
Covance facilities, highlighting the abuse of animals.
“People
are very good at not dealing with what’s going on behind closed doors,” Dr.
Wilson said about what takes place at Covance’s labs. But she tells her
patients about the negative effects the facility could have on both human and
animal health. “My patients from Chandler are horrified,” she said. “Not
one person has said that this is OK with them.”
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