| Complaint: | Complaint 21-92 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Kathryn Mueller |
| Premises: | 1st Pet Veterinary Centers Chandler |
The complainant says his dog was lethargic, sick, and refusing food so he took the dog to 1st Pet. The dog was given an anti-nausea injection and IV fluids and discharged with instructions to bring the dog back the next day for blood work and an x-ray if he didn't get better. He didn't so the complaint called the next morning and was told to bring the dog in around noon. After some delays someone came out and took the dog in. He says he waited a few hours and then called for an update; 1st Pet staff allegedly said the dog was resting comfortably and was first in line. He called again two hours later and was told the dog was fourth in line. Another call led to a similar response. He says he finally received a call from the veterinarian at 8 PM that night saying that she wanted to do bloodwork and that the results would be available in a few hours. He says that he wanted to discuss the matter with his girlfriend first; when he called back the veterinarian allegedly said that he had accused him of cursing at the staff (which he denies) and refused to do anything for the dog, sending the dog home instead. (The dog was taken to AVECCC the next day and euthanized a few days later for cancer according to the Findings of Fact.) The complainant concludes that "Kathryn Mueller is the rudest, most incompetent person I've dealt with in a very long time," noting she "has an animal in distress for over nine hours and then refuses to treat."
Mueller begins with the first visit to 1st Pet where the dog was seen by Keaner, another 1st Pet veterinarian. She also matches the complainant's account about bringing the dog back the next day, though she claims that more treatments were offered on the first visit only to be turned down by the complainant. For the second visit, Mueller says a staff member spoke with the complainant and said the visit could run $600 to $700, at which point she relays the complainant was "a little upset." She says the complainant was given the option of just having the recommended tests from the previous day performed or waiting for another exam to determine what tests to run; he is said to have chosen the second option. We're told that the complainant was kept aware of the dog's status but became progressively more agitated as delays mounted. We're told that after several rounds of this the complainant called their system "bullshit," then subsequently threatened 1st Pet with legal action. We're told staff members no longer felt comfortable talking to him. She says that the complainant said he was going to just come get the dog but was late; this gave her time to do an initial exam, but he then called and said he didn't want any tests done. She says that he then called back and swore at a technician demanding tests be performed. At which point she says that due to swearing at staff members and having a "clear lack of trust in our medical team" the dog was fired as a patient. Mueller handed the discharge over to another veterinarian, Robinson (perhaps the same 1st Pet Robinson that starred in 19-77, in which a cat was given a reasonable prognosis only to be dead in 48 hours).
The Investigative Committee said that it's understandable that the complainant was unhappy about the wait but that once he got all nasty 1st Pet was well within its rights to refuse service.
| Source: | July 7, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Kathryn Mueller | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Recused |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | August 8, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| 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.