| Complaint: | Complaint 19-53 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Greta Heinemann |
| Premises: | AZPetVet Bell Ridge Animal Hospital |
| Related: | 19-52 |
This complaint follows from 19-52 but focuses specifically on Heinemann, one of the other vets at the clinic. They say that the first time they saw Heinemann their cat hadn't had any food or water in 24 hours and believe that she undertreated with respect to hydration. She allegedly ordered some additional medication that wouldn't arrive for a few more days but was supposedly going to help the cat live a few more months. They say this was the first time anyone mentioned a shortened lifespan for their cat. The next morning the cat got worse and they called the vet back. They left a message stating it was an emergency but received no response. They called again in the afternoon and also got no response. They say the cat suffered and died that night. They also say that the following week they received several calls indicating the cat's medicine was ready. (I assume they must have called and informed the clinic of the cat's death.) They also give us a timeline regarding the cat's death. They also state that they subsequently learned the practice was actually owned by another company, AZPetVet, and contacted Joric McLean about the matter. They then received a call from the manager at Bell Ridge saying McLean was too busy to talk to them. Eventually one of the complainants spoke with Tang, another vet and a co-owner, who allegedly said he was very busy and wanted to end the situation. The complainant replied that he should call back when he's less busy. They did receive a small refund check.
Heinemann says that one of the hardest parts of being a veterinarian is determining when euthanasia is warranted. She laments that it's even tougher when the husband and wife disagree about the health of a pet. She states that she has worked for AZPetVet for 20 years and has a particular set of ties to the Bell Ridge location but travels throughout their 21-hospital company. She gives us some medical information about the cat, then tells us that the wife was very interested in euthanasia and that she agreed, but the husband did not. Heinemann tells us that she intended to run some additional tests to convince the husband to agree to euthanasia as well. She denies that she ever said any medication would help the cat live for months and that she only gave the cat some medicine so the couple could go home and agree to euthanasia after talking it through at home. Of course, none of this tracks with the complaint.
There seems to be a lot of contradictory information in the investigation. The summary at the beginning says "complainants" (plural) "deny humane euthanasia was offered." The findings of fact state that humane euthanasia was offered but that the husband (one of the complainants) didn't agree.
The Investigative Committee found no violations. They did say that it was "understandable" that Complainants (plural) were not prepared to let go of the cat at the point.
| Source: | April 4, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Greta Heinemann | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| Donald Noah | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Nay |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | June 6, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Greta Heinemann | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| 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.