| Complaint: | Complaint 22-50 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Catalin Petcu |
| Premises: | Western Animal Hospital |
The complainant states that he brought his dog to Petcu after not being able to get a refill on a prescription for pannus from his regular vet at Christown Animal Hospital (link). He called Western Animal Hospital where he relates the receptionist-technician stated he should just come in rather than waiting to visit Eye Shine; she told him that while Petcu isn't certified, he specializes in eyes.
He went to the visit where he says he was overcharged and was told by Petcu that if the treatment stopped working he'd have to have the dog's eyes cut out; he also notes difficulty in getting a written prescription for the medications provided. He went back to Petcu for a second opinion and recounts some interesting billing practices going on in the lobby; he also says that Petcu ran $600 of tests. On the third visit he relates that Petcu required him to come in for another office visit just to get medication, then had them refuse to write a prescription unless he waited for an hour. The situation deteriorated and he finally told Petcu that he wanted written prescriptions or he would file a formal complaint; Petcu allegedly refused to give him his license number and then told the complainant that if he didn't get his dog to a specialist he would report him for animal abuse. He notes that there was a massive backlog at specialists and they can also be cost-prohibitive. Concerned for his dog's safety, he called the cops on himself, who reported the dog was in good hands.
Petcu's response states that his staff never portrayed him as anything other than a general practitioner. He says that the complainant was informed he could provide prescriptions until a specialist appointment opened up, but that was all; he also states that the complainant was specifically instructed to make an appointment with a specialist at the same time.
Petcu states the pet was in very poor condition, poorly groomed, fat, and with very long nails; he also says the complainant was unable to cough up medical records because he couldn't get through to the prior veterinary clinic. He alleges that the complainant told him directly that he didn't want to spend a lot of money on his dog and was only interested in keeping the dog "comfortable." He also relates that the complainant's "partner" called the clinic and warned them about the complainant's bad temper.
He also makes other allegations about the complainant, leading to a tale where the complainant had a full-on episode in the clinic and made his receptionist cry; he says that he was forced to leave an animal under anesthesia in the other room while he came up to deal with the complainant. He says that he banned the complainant from his facility and during a phone call an hour later told him that he would call the "animal abuse hotline" if the dog wasn't scheduled with a specialist in three days. He says the complainant only wanted free medications and describes him as a "predator-aggressor."
The Investigative Committee had a one-sentence reaction to this, stating that they reviewed everything and found no violations.
This complaint represents Petcu's third in as many fiscal years; they're all somewhat weird, and anecdotally he enjoys calling the cops on customers for alleged animal abuse.
| Source: | April 4, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Catalin Petcu | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| 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.