Greenfield Animal Hospital

Review: On April 9th 2013 we brought our English Bulldog to Dr. [redacted] for a scheduled C-Section to deliver her puppies. Our original Veterinarian Dr [redacted],(His partner) was called away and assured us Dr [redacted] had performed many C-Sections in the past. My husband and daughter arrived at the office around 7:30am and they began the procedure.4 puppies were delivered and 1 of those delivered did not survive. We were aware that was a possibility. My husband had asked if he was sure that there wasnt another puppy in her because Dr. [redacted] had said in a previous visit that she might have heard 5 heartbeats, Dr [redacted] said "no". While our dog [redacted] was recovering from the anesthesia my husband noticed she was acting strange and had brought it to his attention, he stated that was normal. Later that evening I had given [redacted] pain medication and thought she was having a reaction to it, I called Dr[redacted] office and no answer, so I called Dr.[redacted] while she was away and she stated it was normal. For the next 3 days I kept calling Dr [redacted] at the office and explained something was wrong with [redacted], she wasnt nursing the puppies, she had a horrible oil like discharge coming from her, she wasnt going to the bathroom, and her breathing was not normal. Each time Dr. [redacted] stated this was all normal from having major surgery. Sat evening around 10pm [redacted] started hyper-ventilating and all of a sudden I notice a paw coming out of her. We immed. called Dr [redacted] at home and explain the situation, after 3 more calls to her she finally believes us and meets us at her office. Dr. [redacted] had left a puppy in [redacted], it was deceased by this time and decaying inside of [redacted]. Dr [redacted] had to cut [redacted] open again to remove the dead puppy because it had split in half when she tried to pull it out. [redacted] is a Pure Bred English Bulldog and was mated with a PureBred Male.We were planning on selling all but one of the puppies to offset some off the cost of this adventure.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

We would like Dr[redacted] to pay for the cost of the deceased puppy he left in [redacted]. We sold the other puppy for 3000.00 and asked him if he would do this,he refused.Dr [redacted] offered us a free C-Section if we mated [redacted] again and Dr[redacted] felt this was fair. We are absolutely not doing this again, it was a horrible experience due to Dr.[redacted]'s neglect.We just want the cost of the puppy.We payed for the procedure up front and did not dispute this.

Business

Response:

I have always extended special courtesies and prices to people who breed bulldogs because they almost always need Caesarian sections. At the emergency hospitals there are usually done by interns and can cost upwards of $5,000.00. I have charged $900.00 but more importantly, given these clients all my personal numbers and the ability to contact me at any time of the day or night.

On 4/09/13 I was on vacation and Dr.[redacted] graciously agreed to cover my commitments. I did an ultrasound on 03/19/13 where I saw good heartbeats but explained to the owners that it is impossible to accurately predict litter size with this modality- it is just an educated guess. I was very clear on this point.

When I returned from vacation, the owners called me at home, at night on the evening I returned. At first they described vaginal discharge which is normal. As soon as they described seeing a puppy, I rushed to the clinic and did an additional surgery to remove it.

I apologized profusely for the error. It was an honest error. Unfortunately, any mistake we make can have severe repercussions, but no matter how hard we try we are human. We admitted the error, charged nothing for the follow up surgery and offered a free C-section in the future, assuming they would breed again. On 07/16/13 the owner spoke to Dr.[redacted] requesting money for the dead pup but did not discuss the amount. Dr.[redacted] apologized in the error but said that a free C-section was more than enough compensation. They never informed us of their decision to stop breeding and made no additional financial demands until we received this letter.

Considering that the owners have no need for a future C-section, we are willing to give a full refund of the $895.00 surgical fee. They claim they can sell a puppy for three thousand dollars but that is not the going market value and is an excessive demand. I feel terrible about the emotional distress that was involved but I did as much as I could to mitigate it.

Unfortunately this will hurt all the breeders who want special care. We are willing to return the surgical fees they paid us but insist that should they require veterinary services in the future, they should seek out a different practice. Alternatively, they can drop this request for money and we can continue a professional relationship.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because 1st I am a little confused as to why Dr. [redacted] is responding to this complaint when she was not there for the original surgery or the phone call with Dr. [redacted]. As Dr [redacted] stated she did do the emergency surgery on the 4/13/2013. She stated she didnt charge us for that surgery, why would she, Dr [redacted] was at fault leaving a puppy in [redacted]. The going rate for a Full Breed Bulldog is 2500 and up, so we are not asking for anything outrageous. We sold the female pup at 5months old for 2500 and if proof is needed we can supply. I did let Dr. [redacted] know the amount we were seeking for the carelessness on his part. This was not a mistake, it could have been prevented if Dr [redacted] had just checked to see if there was 1 more puppy in her like my husband had asked. When I called Dr.[redacted] 3 months later in July he proceeded to tell me that we were already given a discount on the C-Section and a free C-Section in the future was more than generous. We never negotiated a price or asked for a discounted price,we asked what the amount was and paid. Like I said we are not breeding [redacted] again because Dr [redacted] ruined the experience for us. Also Dr [redacted] had asked that we seek another Vetinarian for services if any money is paid, wheather or not money is paid we have already done so. We are still asking for $3000,and will go the legal route if needed.

Thank you,