| Complaint: | Complaint 22-37 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | William Langhofer |
| Premises: | Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic |
| Related: | 22-36 |
This complaint follows from 22-36 and pertains to Langhofer's involvement as the responsible veterinarian for the premises.
Langhofer's response begins by mentioning that he recommended grief counseling for his staff and for the complainants, also opening a full investigation. They determined that the cause was human error by one of the surgical techniicans not noticing the pop-off valve was closed. He states it was terrible for the complainants but his hospital performs thousands of "complicated and difficult" anesthetic procedures every year with a greater than 99% success rate (who verifies those statistics?).
He also notes that both technicians were given written corrective action and performance reviews, and in addition, they've done technical training for all relevant staff. They also spent $20,000 in replacement popoff valves and equalizing systems purchased from human medical equipment suppliers; these upgrades, not generally available in veterinary medicine (note that), would prevent this kind of boo-boo from ever happening. His heart goes out to the owners. (There's no mention of the prior anesthesia machine boo-boo that almost cost the dog his life months prior.)
The Investigative Committee said that it was "unfortunate" that two seperate anesthesia machine incidents happened with this dog months apart. They also said that there was "a common thread with the training and supervision of technical staff." They note that Langhofer has made changes (while not noting that he was also responsible for the place when it got that bad), and they give him an out by saying he had no direct involvement in the dog's care.
Regarding Langhofer's 99% success rate, one wonders. Consider that for a single dog, he went to the hospital and almost died under the care of a veterinarian as a result of an anesthesia-machine-related fault. He then went back to the same place a second time and died from a different anesthesia-machine-related fault under the care of a different veterinarian. Perhaps he's just the unluckiest dog in the world, a perverse kind of anti-miracle. Perhaps it's Langhofer's shop.
In the history books, Langhofer will only be remembered as the defendant in Kaufman v. Langhofer, a 2009 Arizona civil case regarding possible damages for the death of Salty the Macaw. The case determined, at least in part, that emotional distress damages don't enter into the equation regarding your dead pet (though sentimental value for lost property might). One of the legal teams on Langhofer's side was none other than David Stoll's shop, and the amicus briefs supporting Langhofer were a who's-who of pet companies and veterinary associations. When you see anyone from the veterinary profession or the animal care industry telling you that they care about your pet, ask yourself what they really believe when the chips are down.
| Source: | March 3, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| William Langhofer | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | April 4, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| Seconded By: | J Greg Byrne |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| William Langhofer | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Melissa Thompson |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| 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.