| Complaint: | Complaint 19-79 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | William Dean |
| Premises: | North Valley Pet Hospital |
| Related: | 19-80 |
The complainant says he and his wife took their cat to North Valley Pet Hospital, the only open pet hospital in the area, because the cat was in trouble. The cat was having trouble breathing, saliva was dripping from his mouth, and he was in obvious pain. The receptionist allegedly said none of the veterinarians would treat the cat as the cat wasn't an established patient. She advised them to drive the cat to a veterinarian 65 miles away. He again asked if one of the vets could at least take a quick look, and she said no. The cat died in his wife's arms 45 minutes into the trip. He believes that the cat may have had a hairball blocking his airway because the cat was trying to expel something. He also states he doesn't know who is responsible but believes someone should be held accountable for the suffering his cat endured.
Dean, the responsible veterinarian, says that he was out most of the day attending to horses. This complaint is apparently the first time he's ever heard of this incident even happening. He also says that the clinic has a heavy load of patients and sometimes have to turn away non-client emergencies and send them elsewhere. He says that his staff is trained in triage. He also says he's reviewed the footage of the cat as they came into the clinic and the cat does not appear to be in obvious distress. He's provided the footage of the soon-to-be-dead cat for review.
The Investigative Committee found a violation because the cat should have been turned away by a veterinarian, not by a receptionist; receptionists aren't allowed to make medical diagnoses. The Board disagreed and found no violation.
(In 21-61, Dean's hospital later has a pet die under anesthesia when the anesthesia machine isn't hooked up.)
| Source: | August 8, 2019 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| William Dean | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Violations: | |
| ARS 32-2274 (A) (3) as it relates to 32-2233 (1) as it relates to ARS 32-2232 (12) as it relates to AAC R3-11-501 (1) failure to provide professionally acceptable procedures for allowing a receptionist to make a medical diagnosis on a cat that presented to the premises without notifying a veterinarian - the policies (triage guide) were not followed. | |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2019 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Christina Bertch-Mumaw |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Nay |
| Jessica Creager | Nay |
| Jim Loughead | Nay |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Nay |
| 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.