News

Actions

Couple considering legal action against vet after dog’s death

Posted at 10:15 PM, Mar 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-26 07:42:31-04

STURGIS, Mich. — A Sturgis couple is grieving the unexpected loss of their 2-year-old dog after he died during a procedure to get his ears cleaned.

Ashton Sutton told WNDU he dropped his German shepherd, Rocky, off at Fawn River Animal Clinic to get his ears cleaned. At some point during the procedure, Rocky died.

“It’s very hard, as me and my fiancée can’t have children,” he said. “So, that was our baby that had passed away on the table.”

The clinic says the dog wouldn’t calm down during the procedure, so they gave Rocky an anesthetic. He started having issues breathing and was given more drugs to treat the issues.

John Lindamood, the clinic’s owner, told WNDU Rocky wasn’t given anything that should have made a dog his size overdose, and suspects the dog had a bad reaction to anesthesia.

An official determination will be made once an autopsy is completed.

Rocky’s owners claim they weren’t told death was a possible scenario. Lindamood says an employee didn’t give them a waiver citing the risks of the procedure, and that employee has been let go.

Sutton says he is looking into taking legal action against the clinic.

"So we're looking to get him shut down and just justice for Rocky," he said.