| Complaint: | Complaint 19-17 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Christine Sullivan |
| Premises: | BluePearl Peoria |
The complainant was out of town when she got a notification from an alert service that her dog had been hit by a car and been taken to BluePearl Peoria by the Glendale police. Sullivan allegedly called her and said that her dog was critical and had tire tracks on him and said the dog needed treatment or euthanasia. The complainant asked about the prognosis and costs and Sullivan called back several minutes later to say that "really suffering" and with "his age" (a 12-year-old Chihuahua) she recommended euthanasia. The dog was breathing on his own and responsive so the complainant told her to treat and began driving home from Colorado. She received a voice mail from the woman who hit the dog and said the dog was on the sidewalk breathing and able to track people with his eyes. She also received a voice mail from the police officer who said the "doctor" told him the dog would be okay. She was finally able to reach Sullivan who told her the dog was overall in good condition and had no broken bones except for a dislocated hip. A veterinary technician then called her and said the dog wasn't doing well and may have a broken leg, a fractured hip, or maybe even a brain injury based on a new radiology report. She called for updates for several hours and was told they still had not attempted to reinsert the hip. Eventually Sullivan called and said the hip wouldn't stay in and surgery was recommended. When she finally visited the dog she felt the appearance and condition was quite different than what had been relayed. She laments the decline in quality of the hospital (the dog had been born there) and finishes by stating that her dog did quite well once taken elsewhere. She also wants a refund.
Sullivan's response is somewhat reminiscent of what the complainant said but there are quite a few differences. We don't get an impression of the hard sell the complainant reports, and the "tire tracks" were actually some dark debris on the pelvic fur. She states that the complainant asked about doing a dental while the dog was being treated; the complainant only mentions a dental in the context of the veterinarian being concerned about putting the dog under anesthesia and the complainant telling her the dog had tolerated anesthesia for dentals. She also states conversations where she tells the complainant that they don't have a surgeon that can do a surgery to help with the hip. She also reassured the complainant that they really were trying to help the dog and not rip her off. She also mentions that the complainant told her that she wanted her dog out of there when she arrived and that she was going to hire a lawyer and post bad reviews.
The Investigative Committee really gave everyone a pass on this one. Some of it, like saying initial treatment always needs to be provided, have nothing to do with the complaint at all. They also say that emergency facilities are busy and that they have to do evaluations and put together estimates all while dealing with other sick animals. They did note that it was unfortunate the complainant was provided with so much contradictory information, especially since she was out of town. There doesn't appear to be any real discussion of the possibility that BluePearl was either exceedingly confused about their own patient or actively trying to shake the complainant down, nor is there any discussion about the perceived pressure toward euthanasia in a dog that appears to have survived quite well.
| Source: | December 12, 2018 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Christine Sullivan | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Mary Williams | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Ryan Ainsworth | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | January 1, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Seconded By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Absent |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| 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.