Vet Puts Dog Down By Mistake After Asking The Wrong Owner For Permission

Dec 16, 2019 by apost team

Imagine being told that your veterinarian had euthanized your dog because the wrong owner had been called. That's exactly what happened to Andrea Martinez, a Utah woman who had dropped her dog, Ziggy, off for surgery and expected to have him back the next day. Unfortunately, an incredible series of circumstances resulted in him being euthanized without Andrea knowing that this had occurred.

Ziggy, a Dachshund, used to follow Andrea everywhere, snuggled up next to her and helped her handle her anxiety. He was also her 6-year-old daughter's "best friend." However, he recently started experiencing breathing problems and could no longer keep any food down. Concerned, she rushed him to an animal hospital in Davis County. It turned out that Ziggy needed surgery.

At 2:30 a.m., five-and-a-half hours later, she received a call that Ziggy's euthanasia procedure had been completed, and he had died. What euthanasia procedure? Confused by the question, those at the office put her on hold for a few minutes before returning and apologizing, saying that they had ended up calling the owner of another dog by the same name who had also undergone surgery that night and procured permission to euthanize from that person after it was determined that a much more expensive procedure would be necessary.

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Andrea was stunned.  "The whole thing seriously makes me so sick to my stomach," she told The Sun and added, "How do you tell a 6-year-old her best friend died?"

The vet apologized profusely, did not charge Andrea anything and gave her an urn, plaque and Christmas ornament adorned with his paw print.

Although completely heartbroken by what happened, Andrea decided not to pursue any legal action. She could tell that it was an honest mistake and appreciated that they had immediately owned up to it and did their best to make things as okay as they could be given the circumstances. She could tell how hurt they were by what had happened.

"I will forever miss him, but at least I know he's not in pain anymore," she told The Sun.

Have you heard of a more heartbreaking pet-related story than this? What do you think you would have done had this situation occurred to you? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to all pet owners you know.