| Complaint: | Complaint 20-51 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Catalin Petcu |
| Premises: | Western Animal Hospital |
The complainants took their cat to Petcu as their 19-year-old cat wasn't doing very well. Petcu's office was "literally 85 steps" away from their apartment. They say that Petcu didn't seem very interested in the cat's overall health, allegedly being more concerned about doing a dental than the fact the cat was going limp. They say they agreed to $300 in blood work and were sent home with no other suggestions. Allegedly an assistant took their email address and said that they would get an email with the results, but one never came. Two days later they started calling the premises and explaining that they needed results because their cat was suffering. Eventually they were put in contact with Petcu who said the cat was in kidney failure. An email was apparently sent after that. The complainants state that Petcu was very unprofessional and should be investigated; they wonder if Petcu's license is even valid. At the bottom of their complaint there's a note, partially cut off, asking to "Pls. keep this confidential!! Not sure if doctor will retaliate - ", with the remainder being cut off from the page.
Petcu says the complainants' cat presented with an extremely poor physical condition and was dehydrated and emaciated. He said that the owner told him the cat didn't eat well and had been vomiting for a whole year; he also tells us that despite all these problems the complainants never took their cat to a "professional veterinarian." He says the complainants declined all his recommendations on financial and trust grounds, yet also rejected his suggestion of euthanasia. He says that they came back the next day for a blood draw but couldn't pay the full cost, so he told them he couldn't send it out. Eventually an out of state family member called to pay, and he tells us that while he ordinarily won't accept that form of payment, he did in this case out of sympathy. He says the next day he contacted the complainants to inform them their cat was in kidney failure but they didn't believe him. He says he attempted to follow up with them again but never received a response. A week later the male complainant is said to have called him and used "extreme profanity words" at him, at which point he says he reported the complainants to the Maricopa County Animal Abuse Hotline for not providing follow-up care to their cat.
This is another one the Investigative Committee apparently didn't want to touch: "The Committee felt Respondent did what he could for the cat."
It appears that Petcu may be reporting, or threatening to report, other people to the cops as well. A quick read of Google reviews for his clinic yields a review by a Chris Bruno who says Petcu lied to him and tried to extort money from him without helping his pet. The owner's response (presumably Petcu or someone working on his behalf) reads in part: "He used abusive language towards staff and now we understand why he can't establish a relationship with any veterinarian. This is case of owner-animal abuse and will be reported to authorities."
| Source: | February 2, 2020 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Catalin Petcu | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | March 3, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jane Soloman |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| 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.