Jojo, a Jack Russel Terrier, went in for a blood test at Agoura Hills Animal Hospital. Several hours later, he was dead. Jojo was injured during what was supposed to be a routine blood test from the on-site laboratory. The owner, an Agoura Hills resident, seeks justice for his dog's wrongful death. Agoura Hills Animal Hospital is accused of fraudulently concealing vital information and malpractice. "Jojo was our best friend, he was part of the family and our lives evolved around him." said Jojo’s owner.
Jojo was referred to Agoura Hills Animal Hospital by his regular in-home veterinarian. She needed emergency blood work and radiographs so she called and scheduled Jojo a visit at the Animal Hospital. Jojo’s owner wasn’t thrilled about handing his dog off when they arrived. Jojo suffered from separation anxiety, but the hospital staff said it’d be quick. The hospital manager promised him a phone call within the hour. “That’s when the nightmare began,“ Jojo’s owner said. That phone call never happened and Jojo was held hostage in a cage for 6 long hours. It was during Jojo's final half hour when the malpractice occurred. Jojo was critically injured after the inexperienced Veterinarian, Michal Goldman, performed an unnecessary, painful procedure which caused tachycardia. Jojo’s owner soon found out the advertised “IN-HOUSE LAB” was not available and Jojo’s blood work would be sent out to a third party lab. That’s a 24-48 hr delay which Jojo couldn’t afford to lose. Since they couldn’t get immediate blood test results they discharged Jojo who presented signs of respiratory distress, weakness, fatigue and tachycardia (160+bpm).
An expert medical witness who holds a PHD in Veterinary Medicine wrote a report on Jojo’s owners’ behest and testified in this report that the Agoura Hills Animal hospital staff had failed to meet its duty of standard care in Jojo’s treatment. Specifically, the expert faulted DVM Goldman for not properly reviewing, examining, marking, or monitoring Jojo who suffered from CHF. DVM Goldman performed a medically inappropriate surgery/procedure, failed to review the patient's medical history which showed Jojo had the same procedure done in 2018. Goldman prescribed medication based on a guess and prematurely discharged her patient without stabilizing tachycardia which was an extreme departure from the standard of care.
The result of false advertising and gross negligence resulted in a horrific death. Just hours after Jojo was prematurely discharged he suffered a massive heart attack. Jojo’s family was forced to watch their best friend suffer and die. They screamed and cried for Jojo to breathe and they administered CPR for 40 minutes but failed. “It was horrifying, he died right here on our couch. We felt helpless and tried to save him.” said Jojo’s owner.
It’s undisputed that AHAH owed a duty of care to their patient who presented clear signs of respiratory distress. A small dog presenting tachycardia, is a well-recognized indication sign that accompanies a heart attack. This is a heart rate that exceeds 140 BPM, Jojo’s heart rate was 160+ bpm This was a true medical emergency yet the staff ignored Jojo’s owners request for more help. What should have taken 15 minutes to draw and test blood, ended up taking 6+ hours. Why? They kept Jojo hostage, locked in a cage which he feared. “I want to make it clear to everyone that I know that animals like humans must die, but what really troubles me is the way Jojo was treated. Had the hospital staff implemented the standard of veterinary care and given Jojo that fighting chance, I would have accepted it.” said Jojo’s owner. Jojo's family awaits the decision from the California Veterinary Medical Board after filing a complaint. Jill Ryther Law Group has been consulted and possible litigation will follow. #badvet #justice4jojo #pets
