| Complaint: | Complaint 21-94 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Ruth Campbell |
| Premises: | Plaza Pet Clinic |
The complainant writes that she briefly worked for Campbell at Plaza Pet Clinic before quitting. She says Campbell has no business running a veterinary practice. She mentions several incidents she has concerns about. In one instance tramadol was dispensed to someone who wasn't a patient and entered using the name of the premises. She also says vaccines were given to patients who were never seen. She also says Campbell yelled at a client who brought in a dog for euthanasia and said they'd find a home, but when none of the staff wanted to come in to look after the dog Campbell told them they'd just euthanize the dog instead. She says that in another case a dog with an abscess came in and was nearly strangled in the process of administering propofol; she says she had to stick the dog three separate times because they didn't restrain the dog. She also says that a dog came in with diabetes and was difficult, so Campbell yelled at the dog and said he was in her house; rather than restraining the dog appropriately she wrapped her legs around it and required three different blood draw attempts. She says there are other instances but these were in her last week of employment.
Campbell's response says that the complainant had "very distinctive behaviors" that were hard on staff morale and made her a difficult employee. Campbell claims that she walked out and texted out the next day, at which point Campbell fired her by text. She says she learned the complainant was later hired at Dove Mountain and fired (how did she learn that?). She also says that after receiving the complaint she called up to Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, where the complainant allegedly worked, and said that Wendy Bauer, the manager there, had extensive knowledge of the complainant's employment, substance abuse, and social history (Bauer allegedly felt she could get a waiver from corporate to discuss the complainant in detail).
The Findings of Fact state a lot about the individual cases that largely appear to come from the medical records. For the first case it appears that the tramadol was given out for a dog that was never previously seen but scheduled for euthanasia the next day; the information was entered with the premises name to take care of the controlled substances logs. Regarding vaccinations without exams, it appears those are only given in rare circumstances when a free follow-up exam will be made available. For the rehomed dog we're told that Campbell often rehomes dogs and that the complainant was just unhappy about having to come in to help walk the dog (the dog was apparently of advanced age, had a collapsing trachea, seizures, and fainting spells, so one wonders how much this dog should have been left alone in the first place?). Regarding failures to restrain the pets, we're told that the complainant had no better ideas and that Campbell would never yell at a dog; she might yell at a computer but never an animal. Besides, according to Campbell, if she had really yelled at the dog the client would have been upset. (We have cases with other veterinarians yelling at dogs and in Paul Barrett's case strangling one in mid-air, so it seems that upsetting clients is not always much of a concern.)
There was no Investigative Committee discussion for this case. The Board voted to dismiss.
It's worth noting how well three different clinics seem to have come together to cast doubt on this particular veterinary technician; maybe they're even telling the truth. But with that kind of coordination, imagine the fun you'll have when it's your turn to take on a vet.
| Source: | April 4, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Ruth Campbell | Respondent |
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| 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.