| Complaint: | Complaint 19-01 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Eva Marie DeCozio |
| Premises: | VCA Apache Junction |
The complainant writes that he has filed a complaint with the veterinary board as well as a report with the police. He includes a clipping from the Apache Junction and Gold Canyon News regarding his concerns. It appears that the complainant and his wife brought their dog to VCA Apache Junction with dehydration, weight loss, and what they believed to be Valley Fever. They say VCA wanted to do blood work that would take days to come back. They also say that VCA seemed more interested in their budget and upselling them on insurance plans than treating their dog. They state that they had no success getting information from VCA and took their dog to another veterinarian who said the dog was very sick. The dog died on the way to an emergency facility.
DeCozio reviews the dog's Valley Fever history and states that the dog had previously had a Valley Fever titer last year and been prescribed a year's worth of medications. She says that the complainant's wife said they had discontinued the dog's medications because the dog was doing better; DeCozio states that the dog was coughing during the visit but that the complainant's wife didn't think so. She says that she listed a variety of possible causes for the dog's symptoms but that the complainant only agreed to another Valley Fever test. She mentions other calls during the next several days regarding the dog's worsening health and that one call was missed because she wasn't working that day. The Valley Fever titer came back positive six days after the visit but the dog had died the previous day. She then begins detailing her perspective on the complainant's legal threats.
The Investigative Committee said that there were communication issues that made things difficult. They also said that the complainants wanted conservative treatement early on because of their financial status and didn't agree to more aggressive measures until later. They also state that the complainants took their dog to another facility when the dog was sicker and they declined aggressive treatment there as well.
| Source: | October 10, 2018 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Eva Marie DeCozio | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | November 11, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.