| Complaint: | Complaint 19-05 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Ann Goldhammer |
| Premises: | Village Animal Clinic |
The complainant says that she was considering surrendering her dog to AZ Weimaraner Rescue and had made arrangements with Rebecca Kapp. She says that she was going to drop off the dog with Goldhammer and that Kapp would pick up the dog for recovery. The complainant says that when she requested the dog back two days later Kapp refused to return her calls, so she left a message at the clinic. She also filed a report with the Phoenix Police Department and says that Kapp reported to the Glendale Police Department that the complainant had signed the dog over to her. She says that she attempted to retrieve the dog with the assistance of the Glendale police, but Kapp refused and called Goldhammer to corroborate her story. She went to the clinic and asked to see the surrender form, but she says they could not produce one, only the release for surgery. She asked to see the records and was told that she was no longer the owner. She subsequently learned of concerns about Kapp and the rescue with respect to the treatment of their dogs. She states that she was eventually given a copy of a surrender form but was given something else that suggest alterations of records after the fact; this paper has not been included in the public records so we don't know what it is.
Goldhammer's response states that she's been working with Kapp and the Arizona Weimaraner Rescue for over ten years. She says that sometimes Kapp brings in the dogs herself and other times they have the owner drop off the dog with her along with their belongings. She says Kapp contacted her about a new dog coming in from Tucson. She says that the complainant brought her dog to the clinic along with all of the dog's worldly belongings. She also says that the complainant signed the surgical consent form. The surgical consent form allegedly had "AZ Weim" listed as the owner and the complainant is said to have put Kapp's phone number as the contact number. Goldhammer says the dog was very scared and aggressive, so she called Kapp and warned her of potential legal liability. Goldhammer says that she then received a call from the police regarding the dog, followed by a phone call from Kapp when the police were at her door. Goldhammer says she told Kapp to just give the dog back, but Kapp said she'd already placed it in a home. Goldhammer says that it was obvious the complainant was just having second thoughts, particularly as Kapp has emails proving she was going to surrender the dog.
This portion of Goldhammer's statement is included for your consideration without comment:
The morning of July 16, 2018 Ms. Vigil called and insisted I call Rebecca and get her dog back or she would go to the courthouse and board. I called the AZ state examining board to get some advice on our position. I talked to Tracey and she reassured me that we had met all medical and legal standards. She agreed that since the dog was now owned by AZ Weim rescue and I couldn't give Ms. Vigil copies of the records without permission. She offered to talk to Ms. Vigil and gave me her phone number.
The Investigative Committee says that no wrongdoing occurred. They ignore any potential legal issues and state that Goldhammer only provided medical services and did not alter any medical records. And the votes were taken, and the paper was signed by Tracy, as is tradition.
It does appear that the complainant went to the courthouse as well.
| Source: | November 11, 2018 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Ann Goldhammer | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Mary Williams | Absent |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Ryan Ainsworth | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | December 12, 2018 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| 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.