An interesting blog on Dolittler prompted some serious thought...

http://www.dolittler.com/2010/03/08/Vet.tech.bitten.dog.cited.Wheres.the.justice...html#comments

Vet tech bitten, dog cited. Where’s the justice? , a story about a doxie that bit the lip of a vet technician in Colorado. The dog was reported to the authorities will full blessing of the Vet-owner of the clinic and now the dog has been labeled "dangerous", with the fate unknown

So curious as to potential liability surrounding this case, I wondered if there could be legal implications or insurance implications.

I did not have to remain curious for too long:

http://matveylaw.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/court-allows-veterinary-employee-to-sue-for-dog-bite-injuries/

"

Court allows veterinary employee to sue for dog bite injuries

"The Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas recently considered a case wherein a veterinary assistant was bit by a client’s dog and determined that her lawsuit against the dog’s owner was allowed to proceed.  The bite occurred during an examination of the dog.  According to the court opinion, the owner of the dog knew that the dog had exhibited aggressive tendencies around certain people and the owner knew that the dog was sensitive to people touching it around its hindquarters."

There are several methods of prevention to protect "you", the client-owner:

What does this mean to the unobserved/unwitnessed 'accident'...when the owner has dropped the pet off?

Anyone have some additional good suggestions???

Facts:

Toonces was a diabetic cat in good care of his Owner. Toonces was boarded at his Veterinary clinic to insure his good care and safety.

Toonces was overdosed with insulin by a non-medical staff person and left unattended to go into seizures and insulin coma.

Toonces survived but was left permanently neurologically damaged for his last two years of life.

His owner cared for him continuously at great expense.

The veterinarian received a "rarely" imposed deterrant: $250 fine

Police: Thieves seeking drugs target vet clinics

PENN HILLS, Pa.—Police in suburban Pittsburgh say thieves in a string of veterinary clinic break-ins are after drugs.

At least four animal hospitals in the Pittsburgh area have been recently burglarized. The latest happened Monday night in Penn Hills, about 10 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Police say money was taken but believe the burglars were after drugs to either sell or use to get high. Veterinarians say the anesthetics and painkillers that were taken are dangerous to human users.

Penn Hills police say surveillance video shows the burglars in the most recent break-in. Authorities say they plan to share that information with police in nearby communities that have seen similar burglaries.

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MSU's veterinary school to stop using live dogs for training freep.com Detroit Free Press

http://www.freep.com/article/20100304/NE...

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20100304/NEWS06/100304041/1320/MSUs-veterinary-school-to-stop-using-live-dogs

Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will no longer use live dogs for training in invasive surgeries beginning this fall after years of review and protests from animal rights groups.

Excerpt:

"Vet school spokeswoman Linda Chadderdon said a declining number of live animals had been used for training purposes at MSU in recent years, and none from pounds or companion animal donations. All of the dogs used at MSU are so-called “purpose bred” animals, Chadderdon said. About 140 dogs were euthanized after they are anaesthetized and used for surgical training last year, she said. "

Back Off !

Did you ever try taking pictures of 5 with party hats?

Xena, Zoey, & Willie (far right-deceased)

 Zoey

A bereaved cat owner, that could be you or me, explaining to the Veterinary Board, how the process to "protect citizens and their pets" fails time & time again to act as meaningful deterrent or provide explanation to the state's citizen.

Fact: Smokey was an elderly cat that went with "un-diagnosed" congestive heart failure (enlarged heart) as post incident acknowledgement via x-ray and died immediately upon ketamine injection (contra-indicated for CHF)

Observation: You need to carefully tune in to hear the speech above the background discussions & noise from the interested  Board Members

This clip breaks my heart and could be any bereaved dog owner in this country.

Facts: Mutley was a young, healthy cockapoo scheduled to be neutered.

Mutley had a "necropsy" stating perfect healthy organs.

Mutley was injected with a drug marked "for cattle only, not to be used for dogs"

Mutley NEVER made it to surgery & died with blood oozing from body openings.

Mutley's Owner was still charged for the "surgery" and threatened "to keep her mouth shut"

The Veterinary Board dismissed her complaint.

Mutley's owner represented herself in Superior court & LOST , despite a highly educated expert witness, despite the drug manufacturers letter stating that this is known to cause death in dog's and not to be used, and despite a state necropsy showing "perfect health".

Why? Because the veterinarian defendent stated'

 "I have been using this drug for years"

Observation: A few mis-statements: ALL DEA controlled substances require a drug log, no matter what schedule

One can describe themselves in numerous ways and have a meaning unique in perception to others and to themselves.

I have been accused to be a Vet-bash-er, unreasonable intolerance for a "whole group" of professionals, because I have taken a public stand in October of 2006, after decades of veterinary care for multiple dogs & cats.

Ummm, no. I am not a vet bash-er, simply a "bad" vet bash-er, and a system that affords no deterrent at all.

A year or so ago, I got a phone call from a young lady that told me of a terrible experience of xyz in a town miles away from here, and how she decided to go to Dr. Pq and asked me "if I knew anything". It just so happened I did from many, many years ago. I simply stated my experience with Dr. Pq was a good one: ethical, kind, and skilled over a long length of time. And my visits had become a travel burden to remain a client.

Sound familiar? How many of us Pet-owners have made a "change" for reasons completely unrelated to dis-satisfaction? How many of us have found ourselves un-expectantly abandoned by move, retirement, illness of our trusted professional?

So when you, the reader, peruse my blog or website, and think "oh, this person is just a negative individual, with an agenda"...please consider, that my 'good' experiences have far, far outweighed the 'bad'. But everywhere, the 'bad' can be *very, very* inexcusably bad. And pet patients can't talk, and YOU, the consumer-client should have reasonable & fair  redress.

So with that, I move on to my next post...

*** No excuse to take advantage illegally---

Yelp.com Accused of Extortion by California Veterinary Hospital

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-25/yelp-com-accused-of-extortion-by-california-veterinary-hospital.html

By Edvard Pettersson and Joseph Galante

Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Yelp Inc., the operator of a Web site where consumers read and write reviews of local businesses, was accused of extortion by a Long Beach, California, veterinary hospital.