By Jonathan Williams
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
The Fairmont Veterinary Hospital experienced a deluge of calls all day Wednesday following a case of mistaken identity and Internet justice gone wrong.
Dr. Scott Moore, a junior partner at the hospital, said they received calls from across the country and even foreign countries because of a mistake made on Twitter.
According to Moore, someone with the Twitter username @dianefridley posted pictures of herself on the website engaging in sexual activity with dogs. A Twitter poweruser with more than 600,000 followers retweeted this user, along with the phone number for the Fairmont Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. Diane Fridley, a completely different person, works.
“It’s been rough,” Moore said. “It’s taken a lot of energy from my staff.”
Right now, the hospital is trying to get the word out and caution people about knee-jerk reactions to things on the Internet.
“We want people to know that Dr. Fridley is a good person and a wonderful veterinarian,” Moore said. “When you tweet or post on Facebook, make sure that you’re well informed, because the ramifications can be vast and far-reaching.”
Find the full story in Thursday’s Times West Virginian, available at newsstands or through home delivery by calling 304-367-2525 or 304-367-2527.
