| Complaint: | Complaint 22-116 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Taylor Williams |
| Premises: | Humane Society of Mohave County |
The complainant says that he took his dog to Williams three different times about a cough that wouldn't go away. He says that Williams told him the x-rays and bloodwork showed nothing and also routinely failed to provide copies of the results; he noted that his family was moving and were worried, and allegedly Williams offered them good luck. Several days later (on the road?) the dog went to an emergency vet in Texas who found a mass on the lung; they then traveled to Corpus Christi where another vet, Betty Wilson, suspected Valley Fever, a collapsed lung, and nodules. The dog then died and the complainant blames Williams for not taking them seriously, particularly as they already had another dog with Valley Fever at home.
Williams' response states that the complainants say she saw their pet multiple times and ignored their concerns regarding the cough. She appears to confirm that their other pet did get a Valley Fever diagnosis. She only saw the dog in question twice, once for a mass removal estimate and later for a recheck exam; others in the clinic saw the dog other times (Williams appears to be the responsible veterinarian for the premises, however). She says that one of the complainants was a prior customer of their hospital but didn't like the prices, yet she returned back. We're given a medical history of the dog including a mass removal (biopsy declined), an enlarged heart (pimobendan declined as the dog was asymptomatic), possible mast cell tumor, ear issues, and so on. We're told that the complainants never reported coughing or she would have gone ahead and checked for Valley Fever, and we're also told that the complainants had been a "delicate" client. Indeed, it appears the complainants drove all the way from Florida to meet personally with Williams and tell her what they thought of her care; we're told that the complainants left in a positive mood after receiving some free Bravecto and other medications to defray the cost of their big drive back to Arizona. She ends by stating that the dead dog was never actually diagnosed with Valley Fever and that as no necropsy was performed, the whole complaint could be illegitimate. (The Findings of Fact state that two days after the dog died, "Valley Fever titer revealed: AGID - positive; CF - positive 32."
The Investigative Committee "discussed" that the complainant said she told the clinic about coughing on multiple occasions but it was never put into the records. We're also told that the dog went to three other veterinarians who didn't specifically diagnose Valley Fever, and that Williams never noticed coughing and the complainants never mentioned it to her. (In essence, the investigators appear to be tossing it all out on the grounds that the complainants are lying about what actually happened. It appears that after leaving Arizona, veterinarians in both Texas and Arizona had major concerns about this dog and Valley Fever.)
| Source: | September 9, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Taylor Williams | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | October 10, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| Seconded By: | Craig Nausley |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.