| Complaint: | Complaint 21-137 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Janelle Starr |
| Premises: | McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital |
The complainant says that she made an appointment with McDowell Mountain Animal Clinic as she wanted to find a veterinarian closer to her job. She states there was nothing wrong with her dog when she took her in. A staff member came out to get the dog and she warned him the dog was very stressed and scared; she asked that they do a toenail trim and trim some hair off her bottom. Starr later spoke with her and said that the dog had a common knee problem; this was the first the complainant had heard of it. She also relates that Starr said the dog was uncooperative despite the efforts of some "dog whisperer"-like individual working with her. A different staff member brought her dog back to her; the complainant relates that the dog seemed weak as she couldn't "feel her energy." This individual allegedly said that the dog had "went berserk" but that they "held her down until she gave in." When she got the dog home she says her dog was having trouble walking, seemed to have no energy, and was painful; she noted that her dog would just lie there moaning and sometimes her back legs would slip out. The dog did not improve and the complaniant demanded to speak with Starr. Starr said that she'd look into it and that the dog had been a "little" scared, but that she wasn't there when much of this happened. She wanted another vet to look at her dog; Starr allegedly said that she recommended a second opinion but that she wasn't going to pay for it. The owner of the hospital later called with a different story, allegedly saying that Starr had been present the entire time and confirmed that everything was done appropriately. The complainant says she's working to try and get her dog better but that she is now horribly afraid; she reminds us that she had been making progress helping her dog recover from a life on the streets and now she's afraid the dog will never heal psychologically. She says this is abuse and that the clinic should be shut down; she wonders how many other dogs have been abused there.
Starr says that she could tell the dog was nervous as soon as she came in. The dog pooped and peed on exam by her staff and tried to clean her up; the dog also tried biting them and was muzzled at that time. She noted grade 1/4 luxating patellas on exam but no other problems; while she was out at the car giving her findings to the complainant her staff handled the nail trim and sanitary clip. She says that she explained luxating patellas to the complainant and recommended joint supplements to prevent arthritis. She also said she discussed how nervous the dog was (even at home) and recommended a trainer and medication; she suggested putting the dog on Trazodone, Prozac, or ClomiCalm, with the complainant agreeing to Trazadone. She went back to the clinic where her staff was finishing up the nail trim; the dog was then brought out to the complainant. She said that the next time she saw the complainant was when she showed back up and refused to leave without speaking to someone; she refers us to the medical record (which the Board gets to read but we don't) as to what occurred there.
The Investigative Committee said they "did not believe Respondent or her staff mishandled or abused the dog." They note that luxating patellas are common and cannot be caused. Any pain the dog may have been experiencing was possibly a result of having the patellas luxated on exam; they say that dogs regularly limp after having their patellas luxated and it's normal. They also thought that the dog may have had a CCL tear based on a follow-up examination by another veterinarian; they say that Starr or her staff could not have caused a CCL tear either (oddly, other sources suggest many of them finally go as the result of athletic or similar injuries, so depending on the exact nature of the injury one wonders if the dog fought so much it had the same effect). The Committee said they would be concerned if any veterinary staff made the comments the complainant said they did, but there's no evidence to support her claim and "that would not be tolerated in a veterinary premises." (In other words, it would be concerning if it did happen, but there's no proof it happened, and it couldn't have happened anyway.)
| Source: | October 10, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Janelle Starr | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Gregg Maura | Aye |
| Steven Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | November 11, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Absent |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.