| Complaint: | Complaint 21-15 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Stacey Carron |
| Premises: | Canyon Pet Hospital |
The complainant begins by stating that she's had some difficult phone calls with the clinic; her complaint to the Board is actually the letter she sent to the clinic. She also states that she's not doing this to retaliate but to get them to stop. We learn that her dog had not been eating or drinking for two days, also having diarrhea. Canyon Pet Hospital told her that the dog could go on a waiting list at position 7. She called back for an update and was told that she could bring the dog by to check his vitals; his vitals were stable but she could pay $350 to have him seen immediately for an emergency visit. The staff member allegedly told her it would be safe to wait. She says that she finally got a text saying it was time to come down to the clinic, so she did, but was still not seen; one of the staff members told the complainant she had refused the drop-off, which made no sense to her. The dog was suffering greatly so she finally went inside the premises to talk to someone. She was told they were cleaning a room. She still heard nothing and went back in again, again reiterating the dog was very sick; she was allegedly told they would look into it. A vet tech eventually came out to the car and took them in; after waiting an additional 15 minutes with her dog sick on the floor. she began calling other veterinarians to see if someone else could see her. Carron finally entered the room and acknowledged that the complainant could take the dog elsewhere. The complainant says that Carron was defensive and told her she was insufficiently calm, at which point she left the room and the sick dog; she allegedly told the complainant that he would come back to see the dog once the complainant was calm. The complainant says she left the premises crying with her dog in her arms; she went to a different veterinarian who found cancer and the dog was euthanized. She also relates that she had always taken her dog there but says that Canyon started to go downhill after a "Dr Lisa" left, and that in some conversations around the pet community she's also heard other bad things about the place; she even claims she spoke with a physician who said the clinic was in over its head and burned out.
Carron's response begins with an explanation of the triage procedure at the clinic. She states that in this case the dog was triaged by Folkers and any advice he provided relayed to the complainant by a veterinary technician. Folkers is said to have found the dog's vitals were stable. Despite that, they offered the complainant the chance to have the dog seen as an emergency but turned it down. She states that she has no records of triaged patients prior to starting her shift. When the complainant came in she was allegedly "difficult and rude" to the staff and that her yelling was heard in the hallway. She says that she was very nice and took it all in stride but that the complainant continued to be hostile and criticize the practice's triage practices. She claims she couldn't get any information about the pet because the complainant was yelling at her too much; she relates that she told the complainant she was leaving the room for two minutes for the complainant to calm down, at which point she says the complainant called her a "condescending bitch" and left the premises with the dog.
The Investigative Committee said that they "had some concern" that the history of the dog at presentation might have been sufficiently bad that someone should have done more. They also felt that the clinic's $350 emergency fee, while allegedly just a deposit, may have felt like a way to jump ahead in the line. In the end, while they felt it was kind of icky, they also felt that it wasn't a violation; the complainant was also alleged to be a difficult person by the Committee (though if this clinic behaved like this, perhaps it's not hard to see why she might be a little prickly).
It appears the veterinarian who triaged the dog initally was none other than Cameron Folkers; you'll remember him from 18-94 when he and his mom allegedly attempted to smother a dying horse before a neighbor shot the horse in the head.
| Source: | January 1, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Stacey Carron | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | February 2, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jessica Creager |
| Seconded By: | Sarah Heinrich |
| 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 | 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.