| Complaint: | Complaint 22-99 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Lisa Felche |
| Premises: | Eye Care for Animals Gilbert |
The complainants say they went to Eye Care for Animals to discuss cataract removal on their diabetic dog. At that time, they say Felche was great, and they set up an appointment for pre-surgery testing. They were told they would get the dog in early and wouldn't need food or insulin, then were told later in the day to bring it anyway.
They finally got a (belated) call and when they arrived to pick up the dog she could barely walk, came home and couldn't eat, and they had no idea what to do about insulin dosages in such a situation; Eye Care for Animals was closed, their family vet was closed, and in the end they relied on the advice of a friend who also had a diabetic dog. The dog didn't fully recover until the next day.
They also waited for days to get the dog's results back, calling repeatedly and receiving no response (the Findings of Fact state the results were sent to the family vet). They sent a letter and finally get a call back, telling them they called but the call went to voicemail. They asked why they didn't leave a message then, and they also note that their phone shows no incoming calls from them; they also question how Eye Care for Animals found their landline number (?).
At this point, stating that the tests are three weeks out of date and they no longer trust Eye Care for Animals, they want a refund. They were told they could get a refund for the medication but it never went through. They believe they and their dog were taken advantage of for $1371.
Felche's response focuses on medical details over the more meaty aspects of the case. However, she does state that the dog was bright, alert, and responsive at discharge, also stating that the dog was actually doing better than when the dog came in that morning. She also says that the medical records clearly indicate the complainants were called multiple times and messages were left. After receivng an angry letter they thought they may have reached a voicemail with a lot of clicking noises, then tried a secondary number and left a message there too. She concurs with her practice manager, Veronica, that services were rendered and the complainants don't get a refund.
The Investigative Committee, as is becoming more common in some of the more recent complaints, didn't even bother to contact Felche as they said they had no reason to. The discussion says that the premises might have been calling from a number the complainants didn't recognize (but what about all the alleged voicemails?). They also say that the complainants canceled because of the dog's reaction to sedation, not the fact they didn't get the testing results back in a reasonable timeframe.
This Eye Care for Animals story is somewhat reminiscent of the sequence in 18-23, in which follow-up care was said to be a joke after an eye surgery; the same family was said to be subsequently ghosted by their Eye Care for Animals specialist in 18-64 for complaining about it. Perhaps a better name for the chain would be You Care For Animals, because it's your problem now! (Sadly, that behavior isn't limited to this particular chain.)
All in all, though, it's hard to beat complaint 20-15. where one of the co-founders of the Eye Care for Animals chain is said to have strangled a dog in his own clinic.
| Source: | July 7, 2022 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Lisa Felche | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Gregg Maura | Aye |
| Justin McCormick | Absent |
| Steven Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | August 8, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| 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.