| Complaint: | Complaint 20-77 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Reuben Merideth |
| Premises: | Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center |
The complainant says his dog was attacked by a javelina and taken to Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. He says that the dog was bleeding significantly and he had concerns an artery had been punctured because of blood spurting from one of the wounds. He says upon arrival at the center he was told there would be a two ot three hour wait. The dog was returned to him in the lobby with no information. He says the dog continued to bleed heavily and he requested a towel to soak up blood and continue to apply pressure to the wound. In half an hour he was told the wait time had gone up to three to four hours. After two and a half hours he says he saw a veterinarian who said stitches and wound cleaning would be required at a minimum. He says he was told a tech would provide an estimate soon but that took another hour. He also says that while waiting his dog had started to shake uncontrollably which led to his concern the dog might be going into shock. He asked the tech when the dog would finally be treated and the tech told him that she didn't know. Since he had waited four hours already at this point he elected to leave with his dog and take the dog to another emergency clinic. He says at the other clinic he was seen and the dog sent to surgery in 15 minutes.
Merideth is apparently the responsible veterinarian but he didn't write the response. The response was written by Sue Frey, a veterinary technician and hospital administrator who tells us that Merideth is actually one of the hospital's owners. She helpfully tells us that Merideth never saw the dog and that the dog was actually seen by a relief veterinarian, Grady. She says the dog was triaged and was only bleeding a small amount, contrary to what the complainant said was happening regarding blood loss. According to her, Grady found that there were just some minor lacerations. She says she spoke with the tech that saw the dog and learned the complainant was very difficult and didn't want to wait. She also says she asked the tech if the dog was bleeding and the tech responded that the dog was bleeding "maybe a very small amount."
The Investigative Committee said that the complainant was told there would be a long wait from the moment he showed up with his dog. They also say that the complainant's perception of the dog's condition "was not in line with the medical professional's evaluation of the dog." There's no discussion of whether the other clinic concurred with this evaluation (they did get the dog in to surgery within 15 minutes), nor what to make of the complainant's notes regarding significant blood loss and a dog that was eventually shaking uncontrollably. It appears we're supposed to believe that he was just freaked out or rounding up.
| Source: | July 7, 2020 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Reuben Merideth | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | August 8, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| 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.