WEST NEWTON, Pa. — A family says their dog was put down during a routine vet appointment.
A Fayette City family said they came to the West Newton Animal Clinic for a checkup for their dog, Pierce, but what they didn’t know was that when they went inside, they would not be coming out with their family’s beloved dog.
“They did it right there in front of us, and I thought they were giving him meds for his bladder. That’s why they put the little IV into his leg. I didn’t know they were putting him down,” Heather Himich, Pierce’s owner, said.
She asked for information about euthanasia in case Pierce got worse in the future.
Himich says shortly after swiping her credit card, she was handed paperwork to sign. She says she thought she was signing something connected to her payment.
“I thought it was for the receipt, and here it was to put him down,” Himich said.
Then she says she watched Pierce collapse.
“He dropped down to the floor, and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ and he said, ‘Oh, it’s done,’ and I’m like, ‘What’s done?’ ‘I put him to sleep,’ and I said, ‘What?!’ Himich said.
Himich says she was shocked. She claims there was never a conversation about what was happening to her dog and thought the IV was for bladder medication.
Channel 11 contacted the West Newton Animal Clinic about Pierce. They said, in part:
“We are aware of the concerns circulating regarding a recent situation and take them seriously. We cannot discuss individual case details. However, we can state unequivocally that our protocol was followed, including obtaining written, signed consent before any procedure was performed.”
Himich says Pierce wasn’t just a pet. She says he helped calm her son, who has autism, and alerted her when she was having seizures. She says the clinic apologized and called what happened a mistake.
“They said they were sorry, but that doesn’t take away from my autistic son that keeps asking me to bring him home,” Himich.
Himich says the clinic offered to pay for Pierce’s ashes, but still charged her for the appointment. She says her family filed a complaint with the state veterinary board and hired an attorney. Channel 11 confirmed that the attorney is actively looking into the case.
“Make sure that you’re paying attention to what you’re signing and make sure you’re paying attention to what they’re saying because they’re not paying attention,” Himich said.
The clinic told Channel 11, “We stand by our commitment to ethical veterinary medicine, proper consent, transparent communication, and compassionate care. We remain focused on serving our patients, clients, and community.”
The family says that they will not stop until they get justice for their dog, Pierce.
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