| Complaint: | Complaint 21-110 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Kimberly Gryl |
| Premises: | Banfield Phoenix 0132 |
The complainant says that Gryl at Banfield killed her dog by administering vaccines she explicitly told her not to. She tells us the dog was on Valley Fever medications and antiseizure medications and that her dog was just another member of her family; her dog's health issues were monitored and taken care of, and she relates that her dog was an active and healthy girl. She even relates that her family spent thousands of dollars in vet bills to provide the best care they could for the dog. She then says that despite telling her not to, Gryl went ahead and gave her dog three vaccines at once; she believes this caused the dog's immune system, already struggling with Valley Fever, to go haywire and kill the dog. According to her, Banfield didn't even tell her they gave the vaccines and didn't run the blood work they originally brought the dog in for. She states that only 12 hours after her Banfield visit the dog began vomiting continuously, got diarrhea, and wouldn't eat or drink. They called Banfield and were told it was a normal reaction to vaccines; after another call Banfield directed her dog to another Banfield hospital that was closed so they went to an emergency clinic. We're told that the emergency clinic found an extremely high white blood cell count and relayed that the dog shouldn't have been given the vaccines while fighting off Valley Fever. They now have $4000 in veterinary bills and a dead dog.
Gryl's response tells us that the dog was brought there by the complainant's husband for a comprehensive exam and to take advantage of the wellness services available on Banfield's wellness plan. The dog was even wearing a collar to prevent biting, was bright and alert, and seemed to be in good condition. She says that she spoke with the complainant's husband over the phone and recommended the dog receive overdue vaccines and that he agreed without hesitation. She says she had no idea that he needed to ask his wife about the vaccines. We conclude by being told that everything Banfield did was within the standard of care. (The Findings of Fact say that the dog deteriorated over days, not hours, and that the dog was eventually euthanized by Majoue at BluePearl because the complainants discontinued the dog's Valley Fever medications at home. We're also told, contrary to the complainant, that the emergency clinic emphatically said that the vaccines hadn't caused the problem at all.)
The Investigative Committee said that while we'll never know whether the complainant's story or Gryl's story was true, they're inclined to believe Gryl that the complainant's husband did in fact authorize the vaccines. They also said that the vaccines didn't cause the dog's death; they said that there could have been a foreign body, that the dog was already sick, there were problems with other organ systems, and the dog was having seizures for a long time. The Investigative Committee voted to dismiss; the Board voted to send a letter of concern about client communication.
Banfield is owned by Mars Petcare; that's Mars as in the candy bars. So is BluePearl.
| Source: | August 8, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Kimberly Gryl | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Recused |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | September 9, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| 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.