| Complaint: | Complaint 20-120 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Aaron Franko |
| Premises: | BluePearl Phoenix |
| Related: | 20-121 |
The complainant says that her cat had been quite healthy but got sick over the past week, becoming lethargic and not eating. The complainant and a neighbor took the cat to BluePearl Phoenix. She states that at the time she took the cat there was mucus coming out of the nose and the cat was having trouble breathing. She says they picked up the cat but the cat was still very sick the next day, so they took the cat back again. She says that when they picked up the cat from the second visit the cat was almost dead. The cat apparently died the next day. She says that she should never have taken her cat to BluePearl and that they've never returned any of her calls.
Franko is the emergency services head at BluePearl Phoenix and also appears to have seen the cat. He gives a brief background on the cat, stating the cat was relatively normal, bright, alert and responsive, and had a bit of poop on his butt. He says that he spoke with the complainant over the phone because of coronavirus restrictions and that she was immediately hostile and combative with him. He says that she didn't even want to give him any background history and demanded to know what was wrong with her cat. He suspected diet changes could be causing the diarrhea. He says the complainant told him that he needed to keep the cat overnight, but that once a treatment plan was put together, the complainant flipped out on a staff member and declined the overnight stay. According to him, they couldn't reach the complainant again until that evening when she showed back up; according to him the cat was doing well and was sent home with instructions to follow up with a regular veterinarian.
The Investigative Committee said that they found no violations of the Veterinary Practice Act.
| Source: | November 11, 2020 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Aaron Franko | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | December 12, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jessica Creager |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Sarah Heinrich | Recused |
| 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.