A Colorado dog owner took her dog to the vet because she was dehydrated and vomiting. The vet said she’d keep the dog overnight. The next morning, the owner received a phone call from a different vet at another clinic, saying he had her dog and the dog had been hit by a car on the freeway. The dog died shortly thereafter.
The owner learned that her dog had been placed in a kennel with a broken latch at the original vet clinic and that the back door of that clinic was propped open. The dog walked out and made her way to the interstate before being run over.
The day after the dog died, the original vet refunded the owner’s $642 payment for veterinary care (she was actually charged?), sent flowers and fired the staff member who had put the dog in the kennel with the broken latch. The owner visited the clinic and asked to see the kennel and, astonishingly, found another dog inside with the latch still broken. (Never mind firing the tech, this vet needs to fire herself!)
The owner has filed a complaint with the state veterinary board which may be heard in October. In the meantime, she has set up a website in tribute to her dog and as a way to educate owners.
I can well sympathize, as we nearly lost two animals with another vet. Unless I know them well, no vet will perform any procedure unless I see it and I’ll check where and how the animal will be held for recovery. If their “rules” don’t permit this, I go elsewhere. You simply cannot assume any level of competence or reasonable care.
TWO animals?! What happened?
All that they had to do was their job.
What a emotional trauma for the poor owner. It is the veterinarians responsibility to make sure their facility is safe for not only the animals who they take into their care but also for the techs who care for the animals. What if that had been a vicious dog in the cage or a rabid cat or something, and it had gotten loose in the clinic with other unsuspecting patients or animals waiting to be seen? I don’t agree with the tech being fired at all. I would sue for wrongful dismissal and the owner who was charged should get more than the money charged for the care. They should get a new pet out of the unfortunate but trully 100% preventable incident.