The Story of Sid (the dog in DFW that was kept alive for transfusions).

[pstinard]

Here is an update on the story of Sid, the dog in Fort Worth, TX, who was kept alive in a crate for six months at the vet's to serve as a transfusion donor after the vet told the owner that Sid had been put to sleep. There is already a thread on YT for this story, but with the additional information, the story is even more appalling, so I decided to start a new thread. Here is a link to the most up to date news story:

Fort Worth Vet Accused of Keeping Dog Alive for Transfusions | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

That news story links to an account written by the lawyer for Sid's owner that tells what happened to poor Sid, and how evil and negligent the vet clinic was. Here is the link to the Story of Sid:

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/document...ory+of+Sid.pdf

I copy and paste the Story of Sid below:

In May 2013, Jamie and Marian Harris (“the Harrises”) took their dog, a 170-pound Leonberger named Sid, to see Dr. Lou Tierce (“Dr. Tierce”) at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic (“the Clinic”) for what appeared to be a minor anal gland issue. Dr. Tierce told the Harrises that surgery was not the preferred method anymore and that he would like to try a new, less invasive treatment option that included a cold laser he had recently acquired. He said this would take longer but was better long term for the dog. Accordingly, the Harrises agreed and allowed Dr. Tierce to use the less invasive approach.

The Harrises called the Clinic regularly and were consistently told that Sid was improving but that it would take more time. In September, Mr. Harris visited the Clinic and asked for them to bring Sid out. The Clinic staff was reluctant but eventually obliged. When Sid came out, he could not lift his hind quarters at all and simply slid himself across the floor to get to Mr. Harris.

Mr. Harris was, of course, shocked to see his dog in this state, when he had only been brought in with a minor anal gland problem. Now, Sid could not even walk! Mr. Harris asked what had happened to Sid and was told that Dr. Tierce believed it was likely just a reaction to the medication “cocktail” Sid had been given, which can cause a drop in blood pressure resulting in weakness to the hindquarters, and was not of great concern. The Harrises accepted this explanation.

In early October 2013, when the Harrises’ other dog Bob needed to have an x-ray taken, Dr. Tierce suggested that they use Sid to “calibrate” his portable x-ray machine. The goal, in part, was to minimize the time in which the Clinic would have Bob in their possession because Bob had previously exhibited a complete unwillingness to subject himself to Dr. Tierce’s care. When Sid was serving in this capacity, Dr. Tierce allegedly discovered a congenital birth defect on Sid’s upper spine. Dr. Tierce told the Harrises that it was irreparable and degenerative and that the treatments he had been administering to Sid had exacerbated the back issues and accelerated the decline. Mr. Harris asked whether there was anything that could be done to cure this condition, and Dr. Tierce restated that nothing could be done. After discussing this further with Dr. Tierce and being confronted with the idea of Sid remaining in this state of constant pain with no chance of recovery, the Harrises decided to allow the Clinic to put him down.

Mrs. Harris left and picked up her son and brought him to the Clinic so they could say their goodbyes. She again asked Dr. Tierce if there was anything they could do. Dr. Tierce replied that there was not and that he needed to be put down. They discussed cremation and burial. Linda Tierce, Dr. Tierce’s wife and the manager of the Clinic, offered to look into taking them out to the Tierce’s farm for burial. The Harrises decided to have Sid buried, to say their final goodbyes, and to entrust Sid with the Clinic for burial.

In April, 2014 (six months later), the Harrises received a call from a veterinary technician at the Clinic who informed the Harrises and will testify to the following:

•That Sid was still alive (as were/are many others that people were told had been put down), that he was locked in his cage 23.5 hours a day in his own feces and urine, and that he was rarely bathed or walked;

•That Sid’s walking problem came from another technician who had injured Sid trying to get him onto a table;

•That the Clinic was using Sid (and other dogs) for blood transfusions and other experimental treatments;

•That she loved Sid and tried to bathe him but was disciplined for doing so, and was told that she was not paid to bathe him or walk him;

•That Sid could walk, though he still has some issues, but that those issues were primarily due to atrophy caused from being tortuously caged;

•That she was threatened and even punched in the face at the Clinic and told to say nothing;

•That she was quitting her job at the Clinic because she could no longer live with what Dr. Tierce was doing to animals at the Clinic, including Sid; and

•That the final straw for her was watching Dr. Tierce hit a dog in the head when the anesthesia was not adequately sedating the animal during surgery.

The veterinary technician told the Harrises that if they called or did anything other than going to the Clinic immediately, the Clinic would hide Sid and dispose of him after the Harrises left. Mr. Harris tried to get the police or animal control to accompany them but was told it was a civil matter at that point. Accordingly, the Harrises hurried to the Clinic to get Sid. Upon arrival, they walked into the Clinic, with Mr. Harris staying at the desk to distract and talk to the receptionist, while a friend guarded the back door. Mrs. Harris went back into the ward, found Sid, and successfully freed him from his captivity. As the Harrises and friend were in the parking trying to leave the Clinic, Dr. Tierce came out behind them and unconvincingly tried to explain that he had not put Sid down because some of his employees had threatened to quit if he did. While his explanation definitively rang hollow (as he is known to be mean and a strict, if not extreme, boss for whom to work, and who would never tolerate an ultimatum being given to him by one or more of his own employees), it also clearly revealed that he recognized he had intentionally violated the Harrises by keeping Sid alive while misrepresenting to them that Sid was to be put to sleep.

Sid lives, and is currently being assessed by a variety of doctors. Yesterday, a reputable veterinarian in another community examined Sid and determined that, among other things, he has mange and shows definite signs of having been used for blood transfusions. Evidence also abounds that he was abusively kenneled. Sid is going to be seen by a veterinary neurologist and will soon have an MRI to determine the state of his health and his spine/hind quarter mobility issues. Again, he had nothing wrong with him a year ago when the Harrises first took him in for a minor anal gland issue, which persists, by the way.

. . .Meanwhile, though, the little shop of horrors remains.

[mygirlHalo]

This is horrible

[Lil Sis]

omomg..omg!! this is beyond horrible. It is on the local news.. can it go national? Is it on facebook???

[pstinard]

Here is the vet's side of the story:

Fort Worth vet says accusations are a ‘bunch of hooey’ | Fort Worth | News fro...

Basically, the vet is claiming that the vet tech who told the owner that Sid is still alive is a disgruntled employee out to get him. Personally, I find it hard to believe that the vet tech and Sid's owner would conspire to ruin the reputation of a vet, especially when the police and the state veterinary board are being brought in to investigate. The only thing about the story that puzzles me is why did the owner leave Sid at the vet's for several months for treatment of an anal gland issue that was supposedly routine? I would have been suspicious and taken Sid from the vet long before then.

[windwalker]

That's why I say trust your dog, if your dog does not like your Vet or Groomer find another. I'm not too impressed with the level of concern of the owners, If our mutt is at the Vet overnight or longer, one of us will be eyes/hands on visiting her often, if Vet don't like it we don't like the vet and move on!!! That Vet will probably get off light since most States consider dogs property.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Lil Sis

omomg..omg!! this is beyond horrible. It is on the local news.. can it go national? Is it on facebook???

The story made the New York Daily News:

Texas vet kept dog alive for blood transfusions months after planned euthanization, owners say* - NY Daily News

You can leave reviews for the Bowie Animal Clinic on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camp-...21095337939463

[Cha Cha]

Oh my gosh, this is disgusting. The sadness in the eyes of that poor dog says it all.

[Sammy Mommy]

It's hard to believe that horrible things like this happen.
The story is coming up on CBS news here in NY.

[joyce evans]

This gives me chills down my spine. Horrible!

[mimimomo]

OMG I feel sick I'm so terrified of human beings It sounds like something from a horror movie.

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by pstinard

Here is an update on the story of Sid, the dog in Fort Worth, TX, who was kept alive in a crate for six months at the vet's to serve as a transfusion donor after the vet told the owner that Sid had been put to sleep. There is already a thread on YT for this story, but with the additional information, the story is even more appalling, so I decided to start a new thread. Here is a link to the most up to date news story:

Fort Worth Vet Accused of Keeping Dog Alive for Transfusions | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

That news story links to an account written by the lawyer for Sid's owner that tells what happened to poor Sid, and how evil and negligent the vet clinic was. Here is the link to the Story of Sid:

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/document...ory+of+Sid.pdf

I copy and paste the Story of Sid below:

In May 2013, Jamie and Marian Harris (“the Harrises”) took their dog, a 170-pound Leonberger named Sid, to see Dr. Lou Tierce (“Dr. Tierce”) at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic (“the Clinic”) for what appeared to be a minor anal gland issue. Dr. Tierce told the Harrises that surgery was not the preferred method anymore and that he would like to try a new, less invasive treatment option that included a cold laser he had recently acquired. He said this would take longer but was better long term for the dog. Accordingly, the Harrises agreed and allowed Dr. Tierce to use the less invasive approach.

The Harrises called the Clinic regularly and were consistently told that Sid was improving but that it would take more time. In September, Mr. Harris visited the Clinic and asked for them to bring Sid out. The Clinic staff was reluctant but eventually obliged. When Sid came out, he could not lift his hind quarters at all and simply slid himself across the floor to get to Mr. Harris.

Mr. Harris was, of course, shocked to see his dog in this state, when he had only been brought in with a minor anal gland problem. Now, Sid could not even walk! Mr. Harris asked what had happened to Sid and was told that Dr. Tierce believed it was likely just a reaction to the medication “cocktail” Sid had been given, which can cause a drop in blood pressure resulting in weakness to the hindquarters, and was not of great concern. The Harrises accepted this explanation.

In early October 2013, when the Harrises’ other dog Bob needed to have an x-ray taken, Dr. Tierce suggested that they use Sid to “calibrate” his portable x-ray machine. The goal, in part, was to minimize the time in which the Clinic would have Bob in their possession because Bob had previously exhibited a complete unwillingness to subject himself to Dr. Tierce’s care. When Sid was serving in this capacity, Dr. Tierce allegedly discovered a congenital birth defect on Sid’s upper spine. Dr. Tierce told the Harrises that it was irreparable and degenerative and that the treatments he had been administering to Sid had exacerbated the back issues and accelerated the decline. Mr. Harris asked whether there was anything that could be done to cure this condition, and Dr. Tierce restated that nothing could be done. After discussing this further with Dr. Tierce and being confronted with the idea of Sid remaining in this state of constant pain with no chance of recovery, the Harrises decided to allow the Clinic to put him down.

Mrs. Harris left and picked up her son and brought him to the Clinic so they could say their goodbyes. She again asked Dr. Tierce if there was anything they could do. Dr. Tierce replied that there was not and that he needed to be put down. They discussed cremation and burial. Linda Tierce, Dr. Tierce’s wife and the manager of the Clinic, offered to look into taking them out to the Tierce’s farm for burial. The Harrises decided to have Sid buried, to say their final goodbyes, and to entrust Sid with the Clinic for burial.

In April, 2014 (six months later), the Harrises received a call from a veterinary technician at the Clinic who informed the Harrises and will testify to the following:

•That Sid was still alive (as were/are many others that people were told had been put down), that he was locked in his cage 23.5 hours a day in his own feces and urine, and that he was rarely bathed or walked;

•That Sid’s walking problem came from another technician who had injured Sid trying to get him onto a table;

•That the Clinic was using Sid (and other dogs) for blood transfusions and other experimental treatments;

•That she loved Sid and tried to bathe him but was disciplined for doing so, and was told that she was not paid to bathe him or walk him;

•That Sid could walk, though he still has some issues, but that those issues were primarily due to atrophy caused from being tortuously caged;

•That she was threatened and even punched in the face at the Clinic and told to say nothing;

•That she was quitting her job at the Clinic because she could no longer live with what Dr. Tierce was doing to animals at the Clinic, including Sid; and

•That the final straw for her was watching Dr. Tierce hit a dog in the head when the anesthesia was not adequately sedating the animal during surgery.

The veterinary technician told the Harrises that if they called or did anything other than going to the Clinic immediately, the Clinic would hide Sid and dispose of him after the Harrises left. Mr. Harris tried to get the police or animal control to accompany them but was told it was a civil matter at that point. Accordingly, the Harrises hurried to the Clinic to get Sid. Upon arrival, they walked into the Clinic, with Mr. Harris staying at the desk to distract and talk to the receptionist, while a friend guarded the back door. Mrs. Harris went back into the ward, found Sid, and successfully freed him from his captivity. As the Harrises and friend were in the parking trying to leave the Clinic, Dr. Tierce came out behind them and unconvincingly tried to explain that he had not put Sid down because some of his employees had threatened to quit if he did. While his explanation definitively rang hollow (as he is known to be mean and a strict, if not extreme, boss for whom to work, and who would never tolerate an ultimatum being given to him by one or more of his own employees), it also clearly revealed that he recognized he had intentionally violated the Harrises by keeping Sid alive while misrepresenting to them that Sid was to be put to sleep.

Sid lives, and is currently being assessed by a variety of doctors. Yesterday, a reputable veterinarian in another community examined Sid and determined that, among other things, he has mange and shows definite signs of having been used for blood transfusions. Evidence also abounds that he was abusively kenneled. Sid is going to be seen by a veterinary neurologist and will soon have an MRI to determine the state of his health and his spine/hind quarter mobility issues. Again, he had nothing wrong with him a year ago when the Harrises first took him in for a minor anal gland issue, which persists, by the way.

. . .Meanwhile, though, the little shop of horrors remains.

This is just beyond words horrific! I'm sure you saw all of my posts yesterday wondering aloud because the story just wasn't making sense to me in the initial reports. Now things seem a little less murky other than the poor dog being left for months after treating an anal gland issue with a cold laser. Maybe these owners were way too trusting? Believe me if one of my little guys were found this way that vet wouldn't have been able to give an additional interview!

[TxVicki]

AND the thing is, there are other Pet Owners that standing up for this POS Vet, saying he is best Vet in the COUNTRY !!!! No charges have been filed as of yet.

There was another dog there that was supposed to been PTS but wasn't.

There were two other dog's that animal control took yesterday, not sure what is going on with those two dog's.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

This is just beyond words horrific! I'm sure you saw all of my posts yesterday wondering aloud because the story just wasn't making sense to me in the initial reports. Now things seem a little less murky other than the poor dog being left for months after treating an anal gland issue with a cold laser. Maybe these owners were way too trusting? Believe me if one of my little guys were found this way that vet wouldn't have been able to give an additional interview!

Yes indeed, the owners do sound like they were way too trusting. Thank goodness for Yorkietalk, which opened my eyes up to lots of things that can go wrong in these kinds of situations!

[megansmomma]

There is nothing wrong with allowing a dog to be a blood donor. It's actually a very honorable thing to do, just like people that are donors. It does save lives. But what this vet is accused of doing really makes me sick. There is a program at the U of Pa where they have a mobile unit that drive around to collect donor dog blood which is amazing! Not all dogs will even qualify to be donors. They also need to be UTD on heart worm meds and tested regularly for diseases. But this vet.

[yorkietalkjilly]

This is one the vilest stories of abusive animal cruelty in every way I can think of. It's hard to believe things like this happen. It sounds as if the poor dog's owners were not that interested or involved in him to have fallen for the vet's repeated, varied stories of what was wrong with their dog, their failure to remove him from the clinic when he had one after the other iffy complications and problems from the medication and prolonged hospital stay that, rather than helping him, seemed to lead to further troubles for their dog, plus allowing that vet to use their dog as a guinea pig of sorts for his machine calculations along with their lack of asking questions, seeking second opinions, etc. But maybe I'm not cutting them enough slack - I just don't think I would have kept my dog with that vet with all those worsening stories of what was going on with my dog but I'm certain I wouldn't have just left him there with all that questionable vetting for a lengthy period of time as they seem to have done.

That monster has no doubt "treated" his last dog in this state but no doubt he'll just re-locate to another one where he's not known by sight or change his name and take up his Dr. Frankenstein practice there. I wouldn't care if they put this wretch deep in solitaire for the next 5 years and fed his lousy a** only bread and water - and that's all far too good for him. I think if I were that dog's daddy, I would have the hardest time in the world not following him home and beating the living daylights out of him. I hope between whatever charges law enforcement can come up with, the owners can sue him out of house and home also.