# vet accused of keeping dog alive for blood donor



## onyx'girl

*transfusions

Fort Worth vet accused of keeping dog alive for blood transfusions | Local News | News f...
FORT WORTH — Authorities raided a popular veterinary clinic Tuesday morning after a woman said that a dog she took in to be euthanized was being kept alive and used for blood transfusions.

Fort Worth police and officers from the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners spent several hours at the Camp Bowie Animal Clinic at 5709 Lovell Ave., in west Fort Worth. Two dogs were seized by animal control officers, authorities said.

Lou Tierce, a long-time Fort Worth veterinarian, is accused of deceiving Jamie and Marian Harris of Aledo into believing that their 5-year-old Leonberger named Sid was euthanized last fall because of a degenerative spinal condition.

In fact, Sid was being “bled” for plasma and other experimental treatments, Marian Harris said.

Read more here: Fort Worth vet accused of keeping dog alive for blood transfusions | Local News | News f...


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## Courtney

No no no.....

I'm at a loss of words over this one. My gosh....


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## gsdsar

Horrified is to nice a word for this. I am in shock. Just disgusting. 


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## Stosh

Wish I hadn't seen those photos. Poor Sid, you deserve better


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## onyx'girl

Reading the article,Sid wasn't the only one.


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## kjdreyer

Wow, that is beyond sickening. I hope if this is true, the city of FW indeed finds that a "law was broken".


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## Msmaria

Truly sad. The police would be there for a murder investigation if I ever found out that my vet lied to me like that and kept my dog alive in a cage for 6 months.


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## Colie CVT

Wow. That... There are ways to get animals for donations. There are blood banks out there that have animals who are specifically for that program. Blood donors need to be screened for illnesses and need to have the right universal donor antigens. Just... ugh. You get a few freebies for dogs who have never had transfusions or puppies before but that is pushing it. The fact that they paid for services not rendered could potentially be a legal thing there. Keeping pets that were not signed over to you if they are in a state where animals are considered property could potentially help. As property that is legally yours you could make a case out of. 

Ugh. Just... so not cool. We have in house donors where I work and there's a vet in town who runs a blood bank with community animals who live with their owners, and only donate for two years, getting a credit for services out of it. My golden and my male kitty both are blood donors where I work and if it caused either of them stress I would not continue doing it, but they are both happy and healthy. :/


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## ken k

dr. Frankenstein I presume


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## GatorBytes

Six months later, on April 21, Harris said she was “shocked” when she got a call from a former veterinary technician at the clinic, telling her that Sid was still alive. The employee told Harris that she quit that day because she could no longer work in a clinic where the animals were mistreated. 
The employee told Harris that Sid spent almost 24 hours a day in a cage, littered with his own feces and urine, and that he had been injured by another employee. *Jamie and Marian Harris described how they drove to the clinic and while two friends guarded the front and back doors as her husband distracted the receptionist, Harris went to the back, found Sid in a cage and rescued him.*

Read more here: Fort Worth vet accused of keeping dog alive for blood transfusions | Local News | News f...​ 

Sick, those poor people, and all the others now who will have their doubts once they get word. Almost better not to know.

Sounds mad scientist too....who knows what they were doing to these pets


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## Betty

Oh mu gosh.


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## DaniFani

Sickening. When I saw the title I thought the dog was kept alive to donate to one other dog and then put down....no...sickening.


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## wyominggrandma

One reason if I have to have an animal euthanized I stay through the whole procedure
And make sure the animal is gone. I have never left an animal to be euthanized without me there.


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## bill

I hope they lock him up! Bill

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## JeanKBBMMMAAN

wyominggrandma said:


> One reason if I have to have an animal euthanized I stay through the whole procedure
> And make sure the animal is gone. I have never left an animal to be euthanized without me there.


Yes - it's not a drive through service. The animals deserve to have someone there with them - I don't stay because I'm afraid my vets are evil scientists, but hopefully this will get more families to stay with their loyal animal.


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## LaRen616

This is so disturbing! 

I can't even begin to explain how furious I would be if that was one of my animals. :angryfire:

That poor dog, he probably felt betrayed, lonely, scared, unloved, ugh, it breaks my heart!


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## misslesleedavis1

disgusting person.

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## Courtney

There's no right or wrong answer here but I wonder how many owners leave the dogs body at the vets office? I have always known owners who either brought the dog home for burial or had the vet come to the home to euthanize. 

Regardless, what happened to these dogs is just VILE. The owners trusted this office to be ethical - never in a million years did they think this would happen.


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## Baillif

They'll end up losing their license to practice animal medicine over that one. I've seen it happen to vets that didn't euthanize dogs that had nothing wrong with them other than the owner didn't want them anymore. They'll definitely lose their license over something like that.


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## RocketDog

Sickening. I for one, could never bear to not be with my animal as I let it go. Never. I am not judging these people but I don't understand how people won't be there. I applaud their action to go back and rescue him.


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## Susan_GSD_mom

I worked for a vet for years, at his farm training and showing his horses, he was also my vet for my dogs. The only time he EVER disobeyed a client's order for euthanasia was a woman whose Brittany had 15 puppies. She wanted him to PTS 5 of them. He agreed, but brought all 5 home where he and his wife bottle fed them. They then found 4 good homes for 4 of them, and kept one themselves, their kids named her "Fuzzy." She lived a long and very happy life with them.

Also, I NEVER have and NEVER will just leave my dog anywhere to be PTS. I hold them in my arms and talk soothingly to them, no matter how much it hurts, until their heart stops beating. Then I cry like a baby. I have had people tell me they can't stay, just don't have the strength, but to me that is so unfair to the animal who has looked to you for everything all its life.

Susan


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## DellaWrangler

Holly crap! How does a VET do something like that? Keeping a poor, defenseless animal that's in a lot of pain alive, so you can bleed it? What about the other employees at the clinic? They must have known too.


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## GatorBytes

Without re-reading the link, I got the impression they were told the dog passed away while at vet for reaction to medicine cocktail. Not that they left with vet to be pts. not sure though


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## Bridget

That is awful. And it is so sad because veterinarians are folks people trust and should be able to trust. I guess it is another reason to be present when your pet is put down. But I don't know what to think about the dogs whose owners have been told they "died at the clinic." Our springer spaniel, Buck, passed away while at the vet's and we didn't go to see the body. Of course we trust our vet implicitly, but it does change things, doesn't it?


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## Lilie

I hope the vet loses his license. I hope the owners sue for mal practice. I hope the entire town of Fort Worth black lists him. I hope every employee is included in any criminal or civil process that come from this. I don't hold just the vet responsible, but every employee as well. 

I can't imagine anything worse. I really can't. It breaks my heart just to think what that poor dog (and others) have gone through all this time. 

Every small dog that I have adopted has come from the vet's office. They were brought into the clinic to be euthanized for various reasons, mostly because they were unable to be bred or refused to nurse puppies. The vet has the client sign a waiver, the dog is altered, I sign a form that says I'll return the dog if it doesn't work out. Win/Win for the dog, the clinic, and the old owner.


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## Heidigsd

Horrific...I can't imagine


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## DJEtzel

Lilie said:


> I hope the vet loses his license. I hope the owners sue for mal practice. I hope the entire town of Fort Worth black lists him. I hope every employee is included in any criminal or civil process that come from this. I don't hold just the vet responsible, but every employee as well.
> 
> I can't imagine anything worse. I really can't. It breaks my heart just to think what that poor dog (and others) have gone through all this time.
> 
> Every small dog that I have adopted has come from the vet's office. They were brought into the clinic to be euthanized for various reasons, mostly because they were unable to be bred or refused to nurse puppies. The vet has the client sign a waiver, the dog is altered, I sign a form that says I'll return the dog if it doesn't work out. Win/Win for the dog, the clinic, and the old owner.


 I agree with all of this. 

Those employees were just as at fault, IMO.


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## wolfstraum

There was a golden who died while at clinic and owners are wondering...the Leonberger was to be PTS....

I have known vets to not PTS animals (on a rare occasion) whose owners either could not or would not care for them....one old dog lived another 6 years at the one vets home....one horse had a little open wound/proud flesh forming/ scar and the owners were afraid of her and decided to PTS instead of doing a surgery - it was a way out....that horse lived another 18 years - trail horse, super immunized blood donor....my own mare retired to a clinic where she became a SI blood donor too....many clinics have onsite or on call blood donors - 

But to tell someone their dog NEEDS to be PTS and then keep it in poor conditions is reprehensible!!! Does anyone know if the dog recovered from the "spinal" issues and fistulas (?) and if the owners initially rejected treatment and opted for ET?? Are they keeping him alive now or have they euthanized him?

Lee


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## Nigel

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> Also, I NEVER have and NEVER will just leave my dog anywhere to be PTS. I hold them in my arms and talk soothingly to them, no matter how much it hurts, until their heart stops beating. Then I cry like a baby. I have had people tell me they can't stay, just don't have the strength, but to me that is so unfair to the animal who has looked to you for everything all its life.
> 
> Susan


Agree! Once they've passed I take them to our property and bury them myself. We owe it to them to follow through no matter how unpleasant it is.


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## Sunflowers

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camp-Bowie-Animal-Clinic/121095337939463

Looks as if there were other pets found.


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## onyx'girl

The claim sounds nuts, Eggleston admits, like something from "Little Shop of Horrors," but he says their suspicions are well-grounded. The family had agreed in October to euthanize Sid, their 5-year-old, 175-pound Leonberger, after learning of a congenital spine defect from the vet, Lou Tierce.

Seven months later, they were alerted to Sid's continued existence by a vet tech who told them about the blood transfusions and other mistreatment of animals. The Harrises, according to the Star-Telegram, immediately stormed the clinic, fetched their dog and took them to another veterinarian.

"He could not find a blood vein on this dog," Eggleston says. "There was evidence this dog has been bled -- a lot."

The results aren't conclusive, but Eggleston says *an MRI and an exam by the second vet suggest the dog does not, in fact, have a congenital spine defect.*

So, Tierce allegedly lied to the family about euthanizing their dog. Whether the family can definitively prove that their dog was bled and mistreated depends on what investigators find in the clinic, Eggleston says.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/04/a_fort_worth_vet_is_accused_of.php


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## Bridget

OMG this just dawned on me...doesn't this sound like the exact storyline of the movie "Beethoven?" I am at least glad that it has a semi-happy ending for the Leonberger.


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## Sunflowers

Here is he horrifying story.

How do you leave your dog at the vet's from May to September for a minor gland issue?


It is so disturbing how so many blindly trust doctors and vets.

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/The+Story+of+Sid.pdf


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## GSDAlphaMom

This has been on the local news here for several nights. I didn't open the link posted here but they raided the clinic and took some additional dogs yesterday. Last nights news did not know the reason. I will be watching tonight to see what updates they have. I will post.

I anticipate the clinic being shut down and the vet loosing his license at a minimum.


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## onyx'girl

No kidding! I wonder if Sids size played into transport or something....I'd never, ever leave my dogs at a vet,and would be researching every little thing the vet suggests.


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## GSDAlphaMom

THey just had an update on the 4:00 news. There have been more compliants filed today. The city and state are both investigating. The vet licensing board can't comment while the investigation is going on. 

There was a woman on that said she took her dog there a few months ago with some skin condition and the vet told her the dog needed to be put down. She said there were a lot of simiarities with her dog and this case. She didn't elaborate (or the didn't air it).

I suspect there are a lot of skeletons in this closet. I feel so bad for the dogs.


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## Muskeg

Wow, I was going to give the vet the benefit of the doubt here until the facts were in, but reading what Sunflower posted, convinced me. 

Employee "punched in the face" for threatening to report, and a dog "punched in the head" during surgery!

Granted, these could be exaggerations by one disgruntled employee, and accidents can certainly happen when hoisting a 175 dog on a table but the remaining allegations are just too serious. There must be some criminal charges that apply here.


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## Sunflowers

The vet version of Dr. Mengele.
There are some sick people out there, unfortunately.
http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/The+Story+of+Sid.pdf


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## gsdsar

It's so horrible. I talked to my vets about this today and they were horrified. 

I have been doing this(vet tech) long enough to have seen some things that I wish I hadn't. It's always difficult to see a pet euthanized for something that is treatable or fixable. I am lucky that I work in a practice that does not look down on a staff member for saying "I won't help with euthanasia, I think it's wrong". But I also know that I work for a practice that would NEVER do something like this. Ever!!! It would not take me 6 mo to quit if I saw this happen. It would take 6 seconds. And I would call the police on my way out the door. 

But, we do a lot if rehab at my practice. Recently we had a dog with us for 4 months post neck surgery. 220 lb beast. His owners could not manage him at home. So yes, I see how the first part of the story happened. The second half, unconscionable. 


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## llombardo

I actually had something similar to this happen to me(to the point the vet told me dog was dead but wasn't). I had found a Dalmatian puppy and it had worms, so my sister held on to her because I had other dogs and didn't want them to get the worms. One night my sisters boyfriends brother came and told me that they brought the dog to the vet and the vet had to put her down. I was mortified. The next morning I called the vet and they also told me she was put to sleep. I advised them that I would be in shortly to see the body and I wanted the ashes. I was put on hold and after a few minutes she came back on the line and told me the dog was alive, but had parvo so the bill to get her out was like $700. I was livid and I did not believe them for a second. A friend of mind wrote a check which she knew would be returned so we could get the dog out of there ASAP. I took the dog right to my vet where she tested completely negative for parvo. I didn't say a word to original vet but I had the negative test. They eventually called about the check and that is when I told them in not so nice words that they would never see a penny from me and I would bring what they did to the media if I ever caught wind of them pulling something like that again. They agreed and I never heard from them again. It was awful. It turned out that a local fireman wanted the dog and they told me she died do he could have her and she had hookworms..$700 for hookworms...


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## onyx'girl

wow, I would have alerted the media, wonder how many times that vet has done similar things? 
Makes the 39 GSD's in Durham's seized situation seem like common practice. If someone has an agenda, they will break laws to get their way.


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## BowWowMeow

I too have known of vets who did not put (healthy) dogs to sleep when requested to but this is just mind boggling. 

Those poor dogs! As for the vet losing his license...this is surely criminal behavior and I hope if the charges are true then he is criminally charged and his employees are charged as accomplices.


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## Sunflowers

Sid has since returned home, but has been “skittish” and “stressed,” suffering from poor stamina because of “significant atrophy in his hindquarters,” Harris said.

“My son asked, ‘How can this happen? [The vet] is a grandpa; grandpas don’t do that,” Harris said.

The clinic declined to comment to ABC News today beyond confirming that the vet still works there. It's unclear whether he's a clinic employee or has a stake in the ownership.

The animal had been mistreated for several months and other dogs that had supposedly died in the clinic were also alive, Brewer told ABC News affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth.

“I think he’s evil," Brewer said of Tierce. "Anybody that can do that and not have no remorse, something’s wrong.”

ABC News has been unable to reach Brewer.

Other pet owners who regularly attended the vet's office appeared at the clinic in a panic Tuesday after hearing about Sid.

“We love this vet; they’ve been nothing but good for us,” Symantha Spence told WFAA, adding that she showed up to "make sure" their golden retriever who had died there in March was actually dead.It’s unclear whether her dog was dead or alive. No charges have been filed in the matter but at least two dogs had been removed as part of an ongoing investigation, the Fort Worth Police Department told ABC News.

State authorities, who are also investigating the case, told WFAA-TV it does not discuss cases brought against vets.

Harris said Brewer showed “extraordinary courage” in calling the family, and is thankful for being reunited with Sid, whom she expects to recover following assessment at a rehab facility and bouts of physical therapy treatment.

"Mary is the real hero in this story." Harris said. “That was a big deal for her and we wouldn't have Sid back if it hadn’t been for her."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/vet-accused-keeping-sickly-dog-alive-harvest-blood/story?id=23533535


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## readaboutdogs

This is really awful. I feel so bad for the dogs and their owners. I can't imagine something like that happening to my boys. I hope Sid and the others recover and spend the rest of their lives in comfort and peace.


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## selzer

It's disgusting. 

I stay for euthanasia, but even if an owner does not, it doesn't exonerate a vet for such criminal, unethical behavior. Theft, cruelty to animals, the guy needs to go to prison, and the owners of the dogs in question ought to sue the pants off of him.

And, someone needs to beat the snot out of him too.


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## Betty

This is horrible.


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## Colie CVT

Just to bring to light a NORMAL interaction if a client doesn't want to be present for their pet's euthanasia, the clinics that I work at have a few options for after. Either the people take their pet home (which is location prohibited since I don't think people can bury within city limits here), or they are picked up by one of the local crematories to be cremated either for disposal, spreading of ashes on property the crematory owns or to be placed into an urn and returned to the clinic for owner's to pick up.

Speaking as a person who has done this many times, if there are owners who cannot bare their last memories of their pet being the euthanasia, I stay with that animal. I hold them, often give them treats, tell them how much their owners love them and that they will be seeing them someday again. I am patient, kind and understanding for that pet and for that client. One of the interns who came through were I work had to be the person to hold the animal if the owner was not there. She would usually find me and ask for my help, as being the one giving the euthanasia solution does not bother me and I generally am quick and efficient with venipuncture. 

In Idaho it is legal for a veterinarian to refuse to euthanize an animal if it is healthy and otherwise doesn't seem ill. We often play the game of what can be done, offer the option if there is someone within the clinic who would take the animal on. Some days people are very set in their ideas, and by law, animals are property in Idaho and what the owner wants to do is their right. It isn't fun to hear about people planning to take their pet home to euthanize it themselves, but we often get that too.

So long post shortened, even without an owner there, that pet is not going to be alone. The majority of us who go into this field do it because we love animals and want to help them. I have held many a pet, telling them how they will soon no longer be in pain, how much they are loved, and take extreme care with them after. I can assure you all that is much more the norm than what this man has done. :/ 

I agree with whomever said that if they'd discovered this happening they would have quit and gone straight to the authorities. I refuse to work for a vet I will not stand behind 100% with their decisions.


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## Sunflowers

Veterinarian Turns Himself In, Charged With Animal Cruelty « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth


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## GSDAlphaMom

Noon News Update: License temporarily suspended, hearing in two weeks on suspension; organs kept in jars around clinic, visible bugs throughout clinic and at least one dog caged for 2-3 years that was supposed to have been euth'd.

Disgusting.


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## Heidigsd

The more I read about this the angrier I get  

How can anyone do this to an animal but a veterinarian? That he recommended killing this dog and then kept it for his own personal gain is beyond belief but to force the dog to live in a cage for months in it's own waste...who does that? Who can walk by it's cage day after day knowing he was suffering for months?

I know some stories about what happens at some animal hospitals that will make you really upset but I never heard anything like this.


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## Sunflowers

GSDAlphaMom said:


> Noon News Update: License temporarily suspended, hearing in two weeks on suspension; organs kept in jars around clinic, visible bugs throughout clinic and at least one dog caged for 2-3 years that was supposed to have been euth'd.
> 
> Disgusting.


Why the h ell didn't any employees say a thing until just now? I mean, seriously?!


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## LaRen616

Sunflowers said:


> Why the h ell didn't any employees say a thing until just now? I mean, seriously?!


Ya I am disgusted that nobody stepped up earlier for these dogs! I can't believe it! How did they sleep at night? IMO they are all at fault here and they all SUCK!


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## Lilie

GSDAlphaMom said:


> Noon News Update: License temporarily suspended, hearing in two weeks on suspension; organs kept in jars around clinic, visible bugs throughout clinic and at least one dog caged for 2-3 years that was supposed to have been euth'd.
> 
> Disgusting.


I just can't get my head around how the employees would allow this to happen. I just can't see it.


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## GSDAlphaMom

Here is the noon update:

Fort Worth veterinarian's license suspended; clinic was 'unsanitary' | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth

I had missed the very beginning, he admitted to keeping 5 dogs alive that were supposed to have been euth'd.


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## ken k

after all the years of reading horror stories on what people do to dogs, this one particularly bothers me, the vet techs or anybody that worked there in the last few years should be arrested as an accessory


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## Sunflowers

Lilie said:


> I just can't get my head around how the employees would allow this to happen. I just can't see it.


I wonder if it has anything to do with this:

"Open and unsecured medications, including some controlled substances, were also strewn about the clinic and in such a fashion that controlled substances could easily be stolen and abused by employees, clients, or visitors of the clinic," the order says.


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## Lilie

ken k said:


> after all the years of reading horror stories on what people do to dogs, this one particularly bothers me, the vet techs or anybody that worked there in the last few years should be arrested as an accessory


I agree 100%. Let all clinics know that everyone at the clinic will be held accountable.


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## wyominggrandma

Interesting to also read it rated a D in the Better Business Bureau and was not even accrediated.......... I imagine people took their animals there because he was cheap is my bet. 
I have worked for vets for over 35+ years and can't imagine why anyone working there let this kind of stuff go on, unless as posted above the drugs were available and also, maybe he paid his employees good so they would not talk.


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## onyx'girl

Or maybe he threatened them if they squealed. I'm glad this is finally exposed and hope others will go to their vets with eyes wide open when it comes to procedures. I'd never just take my vets word on anything, I try to trust, but I still want to know as much as I can to make the best decisions.


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## Sunflowers

Officers ...found a black-and-white border collie "twitching in pain."
[The dog was] lying in a box on the floor of an examination room, had one leg missing, one leg dislocated, and two dislocated shoulders.

Cynthia Welch, a veterinary technician at the clinic, told police she had worked at the clinic since June 2013, and the dog was lying in the same spot then it was now and she "had not seen any medical treatment given to the dog" since she began working at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic.

According to police, Tierce said the border collie was his dog, and he had given it food and water but no medical treatment.
"He said he had not euthanized the dog even though in his professional opinion he knew it needed to be," the warrant said.
Another vet who examined the collie later said it "was emaciated, had severe mouth disease, cataracts, abnormal overall health, non-ambulatory bottom of foot missing, had a degenerative neurological and untreatable disease and should have been euthanized when originally accepted for treatment."
The dog was put down by the Fort Worth Animal Shelter.
_________________________

OK, got that horrific picture in your mind? 


Now explain this to me:



Despite the criminal and administrative issues, people like Carey Hix were still showing up at the clinic to throw their support behind the vet.

“I came to show support to the best vet and one of the best men that I know; a very hard working man who saved my dog and my cat’s life,” she told News 8. “I think no matter what he does, he does it for the animals best interest. And I truly believe that with all my heart.”


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## misslesleedavis1

That really brings tears to my eyes  

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## selzer

Initially, I felt pity for the other employees who will now be unemployed, but then my brain kicked in and they should be unemployed. Jobs may be hard to come by, but watching an ailing dog suffer for months is criminal. All those people should have done something. 

The guy is 71 maybe his judgement is going. Mom will be 70 this month and Dad is 72, and neither are slipping at all that way. But some people do. If you work for an old guy who is slipping, you can maybe forgive some stupid crap, but when what you all work with are living critters, and the old guy is allowing gross neglect, and prolonged suffering, the people who are working with the guy, vet techs, cleaning staff (doesn't sound like there is any), receptionist doesn't matter those people are guilty of allowing the animals there to suffer. 

Sometimes you have to go to someone about what you see going on. Just because the guy owns the clinic doesn't mean you can't go to the police, call the AVMA and lodge a complaint, Call the local Animal Control. 

Every one of those employees shouldn't work around animals anymore. The creep of a vet probably has no excuse whatsoever. There are horrible people in the world, and he probably is just one of them. But, the other employees, they should be investigated as well, and probably charged.


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## TAR HEEL MOM

So, first of all, you are told that your beloved pet has an incurable disease and you have to come to terms with losing him. Then you find out that not only is he still alive, but he has been abused and horribly mistreated. Your dog hurts....daily...I'm afraid it would be me in jail if you get what I'm saying!


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## selzer

TAR HEEL MOM said:


> So, first of all, you are told that your beloved pet has an incurable disease and you have to come to terms with losing him. Then you find out that not only is he still alive, but he has been abused and horribly mistreated. Your dog hurts....daily...I'm afraid it would be me in jail if you get what I'm saying!



But what can you do to an old gray-beard? Really? Can you hire someone to beat the snot out of an old guy? They might kill him. And then, yeah, you would go to jail for murder. 

I say, hit him where it hurts. Get together with the other five people who had dogs that were kept alive, abused, suffering, and sue the jerk for all he's worth.


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## Colie CVT

I have enough trouble watching an animal suffering from end stage disease when the owner cannot let go or stop trying. I have had to sit and watch many pets die slowly, trying to give the best care that I possibly could, wishing that I could ease their suffering. 

There's no way I could stand a second in that place. Purposefully sit back and let something suffer? I stalked down a grad student I was stuck working with back when I worked in a research lab because he was trying to get a cow to move into the med barn by poking her backend with a pitchfork (not super hard, she was not wanting to walk forward). I promptly went over and stopped it, helping him get her into the barn. It was his fault they didn't want to go. e.e But the grad student who was thrown out of the lab I worked at had him take care of them post procedure rather than me.

First do no harm. No idea how any of them couldn't see that as not being harmful...


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## LaRen616

Sunflowers said:


> Officers ...found a black-and-white border collie "twitching in pain."
> [The dog was] lying in a box on the floor of an examination room, had one leg missing, one leg dislocated, and two dislocated shoulders.
> 
> Cynthia Welch, a veterinary technician at the clinic, told police she had worked at the clinic since June 2013, and the dog was lying in the same spot then it was now and she "had not seen any medical treatment given to the dog" since she began working at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic.
> 
> According to police, Tierce said the border collie was his dog, and he had given it food and water but no medical treatment.
> "He said he had not euthanized the dog even though in his professional opinion he knew it needed to be," the warrant said.
> Another vet who examined the collie later said it "was emaciated, had severe mouth disease, cataracts, abnormal overall health, non-ambulatory bottom of foot missing, had a degenerative neurological and untreatable disease and should have been euthanized when originally accepted for treatment."
> The dog was put down by the Fort Worth Animal Shelter.


:shocked:   :angryfire:


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## Courtney

Please tell me he will be facing criminal charges?? In addition to his career being over - I want him to be financially drained when the lawsuits against him are over. 

You know - even some of the most hardened criminals - murderers cannot harm a animal. But you look at some high profile serial killers (example: Dahmar) and a lot of them have done tortured animals as well. He's a Frankenstein doctor who likes to experiment with body parts. They really need to check this guy out beyond his vet practice.

His legacy will be he was a vile man against those that were helpless. He can take that with him when he breaths his last breath.


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## Hopes

Hello, everyone! 

I found your forum because I was looking for other dog lovers who were talking about this news story. I've read all of your posts, and I have some other information that I have found in different articles. 

I too wondered if this was a recent development due to becoming old and senile since he's 71 years old. 

The following article says former workers have come forward and claim* he has been doing stuff since 1997.* It also says he harvested organs from people's pets. 

'Vampire vet' Dr Millard Tierce kept 5 dogs alive meant to be euthanized | Mail Online

It's mindboggling that workers have not stepped forward for decades. Imagine how many people that could be. 

The news stories aren't clear about how long the whistleblower knew about this. Most hint that she was not at the practice for the entire 6 months. One article states she worked there when Sid was brought in by the owners, and six months later she discovered Sid was alive and called the owners. One earlier article said "when she returned to work this year." Maybe she was on maternity leave or something. 

It sounds like she did delay but not for the entire 6 months. Even she should have done something sooner, I'm thanking God she did come forward since no other workers did throughout the decades. 

Since this story, I will never trust another vet to be alone with my pet. Everyone loved this guy so that means we can't possibly know for sure. 

It's wrong of us to assume all vets became vets because they have big hearts and love animals. *Think about it. Pedophiles chose careers to be near children. Animal torturers can do the same thing.* 

From now on, I'm not leaving my pet's side while at the vet. If I have a pet that needs a procedure, I will visit constantly multiple times per day. And I will only have the procedure done by a vet that allows me to do so. 

Everyone is saying to go in with the pet for euthanasia. I'll go one step further. *Take your pet's dead body home with you and bury it yourself.* Don't leave your pet there for burial (in the 80s I remember news reports of vets just throwing the bodies in the dumpsters). Don't leave and come back for ashes because there's no way to know they are your dog's ashes. *There are paralyzing drugs that can mimic death.* It's very possible a vet can use those drugs and make you believe your dog is dead even before your very eyes.


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## selzer

Hopes said:


> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I found your forum because I was looking for other dog lovers who were talking about this news story. I've read all of your posts, and I have some other information that I have found in different articles.
> 
> I too wondered if this was a recent development due to becoming old and senile since he's 71 years old.
> 
> The following article says former workers have come forward and claim* he has been doing stuff since 1997.* It also says he harvested organs from people's pets.
> 
> 'Vampire vet' Dr Millard Tierce kept 5 dogs alive meant to be euthanized | Mail Online
> 
> It's mindboggling that workers have not stepped forward for decades. Imagine how many people that could be.
> 
> The news stories aren't clear about how long the whistleblower knew about this. Most hint that she was not at the practice for the entire 6 months. One article states she worked there when Sid was brought in by the owners, and six months later she discovered Sid was alive and called the owners. One earlier article said "when she returned to work this year." Maybe she was on maternity leave or something.
> 
> It sounds like she did delay but not for the entire 6 months. Even she should have done something sooner, I'm thanking God she did come forward since no other workers did throughout the decades.
> 
> Since this story, I will never trust another vet to be alone with my pet. Everyone loved this guy so that means we can't possibly know for sure.
> 
> It's wrong of us to assume all vets became vets because they have big hearts and love animals. *Think about it. Pedophiles chose careers to be near children. Animal torturers can do the same thing.*
> 
> From now on, I'm not leaving my pet's side while at the vet. If I have a pet that needs a procedure, I will visit constantly multiple times per day. And I will only have the procedure done by a vet that allows me to do so.
> 
> Everyone is saying to go in with the pet for euthanasia. I'll go one step further. *Take your pet's dead body home with you and bury it yourself.* Don't leave your pet there for burial (in the 80s I remember news reports of vets just throwing the bodies in the dumpsters). Don't leave and come back for ashes because there's no way to know they are your dog's ashes. *There are paralyzing drugs that can mimic death.* I*t's very possible a vet can use those drugs and make you believe your dog is dead even before your very eyes.*


So, if you take your dead dog home and bury it, and they used drugs that mimic death, then you would be burying your dog alive. 

Frankly, I think most vets are good people. Some are better than others in diagnosing and treating pets, and some have better bedside manners. But all in all, they are decent people. And the people who work for them also genuinely care for animals. 

I cannot fathom how so many people could allow crap to go on. It was a dirty clinic with drugs laying about, laundry and bugs. I wonder if maybe it was kind of an all in the family deal, where most of the people working there were relations. And the couple that weren't were either drug addicts or people totally lacking in character or maybe ex cons who maybe needed the job more than caring for the critters.

I've been upstairs, in the exam rooms, in the back room, in the x-ray room where they have a cage for short term stays, and I have been downstairs in the operating room. I see resident cats there, and the staff's dogs that come in. I do not see dog's suffering at my vet, nor filthy conditions. They do have a jar of dog teeth. 

Really, I think this isn't a problem all over. It just can't be.


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## Hopes

selzer said:


> So, if you take your dead dog home and bury it, and they used drugs that mimic death, then you would be burying your dog alive.


Paralyzing drugs wear off within a reasonable time period. Wait to bury the body. 



selzer said:


> Frankly, I think most vets are good people. Some are better than others in diagnosing and treating pets, and some have better bedside manners. But all in all, they are decent people. And the people who work for them also genuinely care for animals.


I agree but I'm not taking chances. Remember, everyone loved this guy. There is no way to know for sure. 



seizer said:


> I cannot fathom how so many people could allow crap to go on. It was a dirty clinic with drugs laying about, laundry and bugs. I wonder if maybe it was kind of an all in the family deal, where most of the people working there were relations. And the couple that weren't were either drug addicts or people totally lacking in character or maybe ex cons who maybe needed the job more than caring for the critters.


I think it's false sense of security to make excuses for why this place had employees who didn't step forward was bad to feel better about our own vets. I also think the customers who are supporting him are doing it because they can't face the fact that he may have mistreated his animals. Denial is the only way they can cope. 



seizer said:


> Really, I think this isn't a problem all over. It just can't be.


I don't think it's a problem all over, but I don't thinks this is entirely an isolated incident. I took my dogs to an independent vet for many years, and switched to a large animal hospital after the independent vet stopped shaving and bathing. He was always eccentric, but he got weirder and weirder. I found I felt more comfortable at the larger animal hospital with a staff of over 10 vets with 6 different vets were working at the same time each day. I feel better with a gigantic group of professional people staffing a building at the same time.


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## SPOTACUS MAXIMUS

Luker here.... This is unacceptable. The entire staff should be charged with animal cruelty and at least a web page published with all their names on it with the story. 

As far as the owners, I feel for them, but how can someone not be with their best friend as they are being put to sleep is totally beyond me. I would not ever consider under any circumstances sending my one of my dogs into a room to be PTS without me being there to look them directly in the eyes until the lights go out. 

Just crazy. I am fuming and should say no more. Action should be taken.


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## shepherdmom

This story makes me ill. I had to have my old guy and pack leader PTS yesterday and I can't even imagine someone doing something like this. 

:teary:


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## SPOTACUS MAXIMUS

shepherdmom said:


> This story makes me ill. I had to have my old guy and pack leader PTS yesterday and I can't even imagine someone doing something like this.
> 
> :teary:



Truly sorry for your loss.


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## llombardo

SPOTACUS MAXIMUS said:


> As far as the owners, I feel for them, but how can someone not be with their best friend as they are being put to sleep is totally beyond me. I would not ever consider under any circumstances sending my one of my dogs into a room to be PTS without me being there to look them directly in the eyes until the lights go out.


It happens all the time. This is the reason I stopped being a vet tech. I could handle every situation, even the euthanasia part, until it seemed like I was in that room with dogs that I didn't even feel were ready to be put to sleep more and more. I would say 3 out 5 pet owners did not go in the room with their pet. It was just sickening. I did not have the pleasure of working with a vet that would refuse to put to sleep a healthy dog, if the owners requested it, it was done. I can't tell you how many dogs at the age of 7 , 8, 9 years old that were put down because the owners felt they were old and deemed their lives over. Unbelievable what I witnessed and it has stayed with me all these years


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## onyx'girl

Wonder how many shelter dogs have been pulled for this type of 'care'? I'm surprised the old vet didn't do that instead of keeping clients beloved pets as the donors. 
Many vets are extremely compassionate, and others probably become so desensitized they aren't as emotional when it comes to animals/pets. 
Has anyone watched Dr. Pol? He is an old school farm vet, he does what has to be done and at his age, I bet he's seen it all. He isn't emotional like he probably was 30 yrs ago.

I think what the vet(Tierce) did is deplorable and there really is no punishment that will fit what he did.


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## Gwenhwyfair

wow, in blue, that's surprising to me. 

Mostly because I or a family member was with the pet, always. When it was time for hubby to let his first dog go, she was a large breed mix, made it to 14 1/2 years old before she started failing. It got to the point where she could no longer eliminate properly and had zero appetite even for her most favorite foods or desire for any of her favorite activities we decided it was time. 

He just couldn't bring himself to take her in. When I was younger and not strong enough my mother helped me with a dog I had, she went for me and stayed with my dog. So I paid that forward and I took her in for Hubby and stayed with her through the whole process. She and I had a good relationship and Hubs said his goodbyes that morning, went to work and I took her to the vet. She went very peacefully, didn't fight the sedative or final injection at all. She sighed, relaxed and went to sleep. I cried like I hadn't in years after she was gone. It's always hard. I understand if someone cannot bring themselves to be there but having a trusted family member help is an option people should consider too.



llombardo said:


> It happens all the time. This is the reason I stopped being a vet tech. I could handle every situation, even the euthanasia part, until it seemed like I was in that room with dogs that I didn't even feel were ready to be put to sleep more and more. I would say 3 out 5 pet owners did not go in the room with their pet. It was just sickening. I did not have the pleasure of working with a vet that would refuse to put to sleep a healthy dog, if the owners requested it, it was done. I can't tell you how many dogs at the age of 7 , 8, 9 years old that were put down because the owners felt they were old and deemed their lives over. Unbelievable what I witnessed and it has stayed with me all these years


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## sparra

My experience is different again......I would say 1 in 10 would not wish to be present during euthanasia but I am starting to think a lot of things are different over here when it comes to veterinary practices.


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## Courtney

I remember this thread & just sobbing reading through it.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/preparing-say-good-bye/91795-dedicated-millie.html


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## misslesleedavis1

3 outta 5? Thats seems crazy. I have not yet had to put one of mine down but when my mom put tip down she held and talked to him about how much she loved him. My SO also put the 22 year old cat to sleep and he held finny the whole time too.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Hopes

I've been with all of mine. My first was my childhood dog of 22 years in my late 20s. My most recent was my beloved 16 year old Labrador 2 years ago. It is heartbreaking but I couldn't imagine not being there. We bury them all. There are two "cemeteries" in the area. One is a neighbor's property of our childhood home, and my parents buried pets there so that's where I buried my 22 year old peeapoo. Now my husband and I decided we will bury all of our pets on my SIL's farm going forward. We wanted to bury them on our second property of 100 acres a few hours north of the city, but the land is all rock. In preparation of putting the Labrador to sleep a few months prior, we spent an entire day trying to dig a grave there and only managed to get 2' deep. That's why we decided on SIL's farm. We have actual funerals with everyone in attendance and we all say a few words. For us, it helps with the grieving process.


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## shepherdmom

Gwenhwyfair said:


> wow, in blue, that's surprising to me.


Things have changed. I still remember my mom taking a cat in and dropping it off to be PTS. When we put our first dog down, my husband specifically had to ask if he could stay. I was led out of the room. It has only been more recently that it has become mainstream for people to stay.


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## wolfstraum

there is only one I did not stay with and I still feel I failed that dog.....I had a friend who had a very loved Persian cat, that I loved too....she could not take him, so I did it for him....

Even when I say I can't do it - I still do it....I did not think I could stay with Kougar, but when the time came, I could not leave....my vet will sedate them, then let you stay with them until you feel ready, then leave you for awhile with them ....cry just thinking about Kinu and Kougar - the last two I lost.....a year in Nov for Kinu, and a year in less than 2 weeks for Kougar....it is the last act of love....

Lee


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## readaboutdogs

Yes I wanted to stay with my Cody and Clipper till their last breath. Our vet let us stay with both for quite a while afterwards also.


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## Hopes

5 dogs were removed from the clinic, not including Sid. 3 were euthanized, and 1 of the 3 was the vet's family pet. That means 2 of them are still living and have owners. No information has been released about them or if their owners have been notified and reunited with their dogs. Nor has information been released about the owners being identified and notified about the 2 that were euthanized. 

I suspect the only reason they released information about the condition of the vet's dog is because they don't want the vet's customers hearing information about other dogs they might fear are theirs. That's what's additionally horrific about this. 

It doesn't just touch the lives of the owners of the 4 dogs, but every single customer who has had a pet PTS or die at the vet's office. Since this has been going on for possibly decades, that's a lot of people who will have this fear in their minds for the rest of their lives.


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## llombardo

My dad is the one that has brought and stayed with the family pets. When I put my lab down no one wanted to stay in there with me but they seen how hysterical I was and stayed with me. I had to be escorted out the back door. I got down on the floor and hugged him, pet him, and spoke to him in a gentle voice.


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## misslesleedavis1

The human mind is a wonderful thing. I understand that emotional pain does things to people. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Hopes

OMG! Here's the latest news. 

Missing Dog Nelson Victim Of Texas Clinic, Abusive Vet | North Country Gazette



> It appears that the clinic and Tierce and the so-called animal rescues in the Fort Worth area may be involved in a scam, “rescuing” death row dogs for nothing, collecting the monetary pledges which they have gathered from Facebook users trying to help save the dog’s life and then Tierce using the dogs as guinea pigs for experimentation purposes.
> 
> It appears that what may have been the plan for Nelson but the adopter was too persistent and involved too many people which in essence insured that Nelson’s life was saved, but at a grave cost to him.


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## Hopes

btw, The whistleblower is mentioned in the story I just linked and not in a favorable light.


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## Sunflowers

According to the report, she said she didn’t tell them about Sid before because she feared for her job. “I kept quiet for a long time because no one wants to lose their job. I needed the paycheck. I had bills to pay,” Brewer said.


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## Hopes

Sunflowers said:


> According to the report, she said she didn’t tell them about Sid before because she feared for her job. “I kept quiet for a long time because no one wants to lose their job. I needed the paycheck. I had bills to pay,” Brewer said.


I'm glad she came forward. 

I'm just posting the latest news and indicating possible points of interest in each article. This last article is extremely long and poorly written, but it describes rescue groups and transporters holding death row dogs hostage for donations that spans states and is a becoming a federal investigation. In this particular dog's case, Dr. Frankenstein charged for services and treatment that were never provided.


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## selzer

It says that the scumbag-vet says it is up to him to decide if a dog is euthanized or not, not the pet owner. 

I think that a vet SHOULD be able to decide whether or not they are willing to euthanize a dog, for what reasons they will or will not euthanize a dog. But, they should not charge an owner for euthanizing their pet and then fail to do so. They should say it up front: Ma'am, your dog's ears didn't go up, I'm really sorry, but we won't euthanize for cosmetic reasons. 

If they feel the lady will just go to another vet who will kill her healthy dog, they can offer to have her release the dog to them, sign it over. Some people would be happy to do that. 

But telling people that they are going to euthanize the dog and not doing it. That is henous. Keeping the dog cruelly for months, even years, well, if there is a greater justice in this world, this yayhoo will be burned badly in a house fire, but live.


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## GSDAlphaMom

The license hearing is today. The family has initiated a million dollar lawsuit.


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## Lilie

GSDAlphaMom said:


> The license hearing is today. The family has initiated a million dollar lawsuit.


YAY for them!!!!


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## The Stig

Thanks for sharing the latest developments. 

Been reading this thread, and it sickens me to the deepest depths of my being. Since physical torture is um, frowned upon, BURN this sick old fart where it hurts ... be a sting in his side and pockets! 

What is sickening is there is a support group for this beast:
https://www.facebook.com/SupportDrLouTierce

What the blazes is wrong with people?!!? 

When blind loyalty morphs into blatant denial, that is just as terrifying as what this Dr. has done.


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## kbella999

This is just beyond sickening. There is just so much wrong here. I hope they get the 1 million dollars and that vet goes to prison and gets a visit from Karma. My biggest hope is that the dog will be okay.


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## Betty

selzer said:


> It says that the scumbag-vet says it is up to him to decide if a dog is euthanized or not, not the pet owner.
> 
> I think that a vet SHOULD be able to decide whether or not they are willing to euthanize a dog, for what reasons they will or will not euthanize a dog. But, they should not charge an owner for euthanizing their pet and then fail to do so. They should say it up front: Ma'am, your dog's ears didn't go up, I'm really sorry, but we won't euthanize for cosmetic reasons.
> 
> If they feel the lady will just go to another vet who will kill her healthy dog, they can offer to have her release the dog to them, sign it over. Some people would be happy to do that.
> 
> But telling people that they are going to euthanize the dog and not doing it. That is henous. Keeping the dog cruelly for months, even years, well, if there is a greater justice in this world, this yayhoo will be burned badly in a house fire, but live.



One of my vets will refuse to euthanize a healthy dog. I agree totally different situation.


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## GSDAlphaMom

Update: the board is continuing the license suspension and will meet again in 60 days. They said it could be months before a final decision is made. He told the board in Sid's case he didn't have room in the freezer if he euth'd him and didn't have time to take him to a ranch for burial so he kept him alive and the dog got better. CRAZY!

They also said it wasn't just dogs there were also cats that he didn't euth. One station said he admitted to being a hoarder. 

Fort Worth Vet's License to Remain Suspended | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

wfaa.com | Dallas-Fort Worth Events, Music, Concert, Movies, Festivals, Gossip - WFAA.com


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## Sunflowers

I can't believe there are people actually supporting this crazy man.
Because what he has done indicates that something is not firin' on all cylinders up there...


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## llombardo

GSDAlphaMom said:


> Update: the board is continuing the license suspension and will meet again in 60 days. They said it could be months before a final decision is made. He told the board in Sid's case he didn't have room in the freezer if he euth'd him and didn't have time to take him to a ranch for burial so he kept him alive and the dog got better. CRAZY!
> 
> They also said it wasn't just dogs there were also cats that he didn't euth. One station said he admitted to being a hoarder.
> 
> Fort Worth Vet's License to Remain Suspended | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
> 
> wfaa.com | Dallas-Fort Worth Events, Music, Concert, Movies, Festivals, Gossip - WFAA.com



So when the dog got better did he forget how to dial a phone to call the dogs owners? What a liar and I don't see how anything was extended at all. The board is crazy.


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## Stosh

I saw that he was charged today, but what about the staff? Did he even have a staff?


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## onyx'girl

*Update*

Family Files $1M Suit Against Vet Who Kept Pet Secretly Alive - NBC News


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