| Complaint: | Complaint 21-60 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Jared Brethouwer |
| Premises: | BluePearl Phoenix |
| Related: | 21-54, 21-61 |
This complaint follows from 21-54 when his dog went to see Olivia Pan at Desert Cross Veterinary Hospital. The dog deteriorated so the complainant took the dog to BluePearl. At home the dog was so checked out that he didn't even recognize his owner; the complainant, a doctor, could tell the dog was slipping away and needed to be seen somewhere soon. He was greeted at BluePearl by Marisol, a staff member in training who allegedly took the dog's history in part by writing shorthand notes on her latex gloves with a marker; the complainant notes that she seemed to not be retaining most of the information. Kenneth Besecker III, the veterinary technician training her, apparently just stood there watching and not taking part at all; the complainant didn't even learn who he was until later. The complainant began having concerns and thought he should be taking the dog to a better hospital, so he asked Marisol to get the dog ready for discharge. Both Marisol and Besecker apparently informed him that the dog was stable and could either be left there for hospitalization or taken home for monitoring.
The complainant was shocked by the triage process and called his wife, saying they needed to take their dog somewhere better or he was going to die. His wife met him at home on the way there; his wife, a nurse, also said she thought the dog was dying. They started to take the dog to Scottsdale Animal Clinic but the dog arrested on the way there; his wife screamed that the dog had stopped breathing, and her attempts to give CPR while fluid came out of his mouth and nose. The team at Scottsdale Animal Clinic tried to resuscitate the dog but could not. He questions the entire triage process at BluePearl and suspects that Brethouwer (the responsible veterinarian for the premises) nor any other veterinarian examined his dog; he also questions how a dog in that condition can be said to be stable and not needing emergency treatment.
Brethouwer's response says the dog was being treated by the primary veterinarian for pancreatitis. He also says that the complaniant reported the dog as not doing worse but also not doing better. He claims that he spoke with the triage staff and directed them to confirm that no diagnostics had been done at the primary veterinarian. He relates that a decision on triage or treatment depends on what had been done to the dog, how the dog was doing, and what they'd like to do to the dog, and he told his staff to tell the complainant that. He says that they did part of an exam but not a full one and that when they came back to finish it, the complainant had said he wanted to take his dog home. Later they got a call from the complainant's wife saying that they needed to teach their staff to do a better job; once she started using swear words and saying they killed her dog he told everyone to start typing up formal statements. The complainant then called BluePearl and said that he was going to file a complaint and potentially file a lawsuit, and that he wanted to talk to a veterinarian there; Brethouwer said that since he had no valid patient-client relationship and was threatening to report or sue him, he did not return the call.
The Investigative Committee blames it on the coronavirus. They say that things are just really confused and hard on everyone given sudden changes to procedures. It's frustrating for everyone, not just the pets that are dying and their humans, but also for veterinary professionals. They tell us the complainant didn't fill out all the paperwork and decided to take the dog elsewhere. They also say it was just a big breakdown in communication.
The Investigative Committee, but not the Board, thought Pan was guilty of gross negligence for not referring the dog to an emergency hospital in 21-54. The emergency hospital basically lets the dog fall on the floor (figuratively speaking) but the same Investigative Committee finds no fault when they don't do anything for the dog. The reasoning there truly makes no sense, and one almost wonders if they were more comfortable sending a mere family vet down the river than people at a big specialty clinic.
Oddly enough, in 21-98 even the investigators get so concerned about Brethouwer's triage process at BluePearl that they recommend the Board open an investigation into it. As with many such investigations, they eventually investigate and then say it's all good.
| Source: | May 5, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Jared Brethouwer | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | June 6, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| 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 | 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.