| Complaint: | Complaint 19-35 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Lesley Ash |
| Premises: | Northwest Pet Clinic |
The complainant says she brought her dog to Ash because she was trembling and bleeding vaginally. She says she mentioned that the dog may have been pregnant as there were other dogs on her property. An x-ray was performed that showed no puppies and Ash allegedly suggested to spay the dog because something was wrong. The dog was left for surgery but when the complainant went home, she found a total of three puppies outside. One of the puppies later died. The complainant states her concerns about the unnecessary spay and not identifying the dog had just given birth, and also states that the veterinarians at the clinic made many misrepresentations and unwarranted attacks on her as a pet owner. She includes a letter from the owner of the clinic along with her own notations as to the inaccuracies.
Ash's response details the workup done when the dog was brought in. There are some notable differences; for example, the complainant says that nobody was aware the dog had given birth, including her, but Ash states that several people at the clinic said she told them the dog had been in labor for 30 minutes. She says that 30 minutes would have been insufficient for the dog to give birth to puppies so her diagnosis excluded that possibility. She also details possible diagnoses including what she says was the most likely, pyometra. She also states that the complainant brought the three puppies and were discharged in good condition.
The Investigative Committee's veterinarians say they would not have thought to ask if puppies had been born. They also point out discrepancies between the complainant and the medical records. They conclude that they have concerns about the care the complainant provided to her dog instead.
| Source: | February 2, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Lesley Ash | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Absent |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | March 3, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| 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 | 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.