Family Blames Animal Clinic After Dog Suddenly Dies
Posted: 5:01 pm EST March 2, 2007Updated: 5:50 pm EST March 2, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A local family said their dog went into a local animal clinic for a simple teeth cleaning. Days later he was dead.
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The clinic told a dog owner, whose dog had died, that it had been exposed to some dangerous bacteria inside the clinic. In fact, Union Park Animal Hospital, on East Colonial Drive, said at least eight dogs were exposed to the bacteria.The hospital told Eyewitness News to leave when we asked about the bacteria. But one dog owner said lab tests prove the bacteria from the hospital killed his dog Toby.For three years, Toby was always a part of Dan Ehrlich and Sandra Fumei's lives. He was even there when Dan proposed to Sandra."I got on one knee at Lake Eola and I put out one hand and put out his paw and I asked Sandra to marry us," Dan said.
Along with toys, Toby got a dental cleaning for Christmas and Dan believes his dog got sick and eventually died from his visit to Union Park Animal Hospital in Orlando."As I picked him up and held him in my arms, he was bleeding through his skin and it soaked my shirt with his blood," Dan said.Four days after leaving the Union Park Animal Hospital, Toby died. Dan went back to the clinic to see the doctor who cleaned Toby's teeth, Dr. Kelly Randolph. She wasn't there and never called Dan back, but another doctor gave him a letter that told them eight dogs were exposed to an unknown bacteria.Eyewitness News went to the animal hospital for some answers, but got none. Now Dan wants to find out not only what killed his dog, but at least three other dogs that were at the hospital. An after death medical report from the University of Florida said the deaths were linked to some kind of infectious organism."We thought it was just our dog. We thought it was just Toby," Dan said.In a letter, the animal hospital also told Dan they've contacted all owners with pets exposed to the bacteria and they're working hard to find out what the bacteria was and where it came from. Right now, they said they just don't know.
GREAT PETS: Visit Our Special Interactive SectionThe clinic told a dog owner, whose dog had died, that it had been exposed to some dangerous bacteria inside the clinic. In fact, Union Park Animal Hospital, on East Colonial Drive, said at least eight dogs were exposed to the bacteria.The hospital told Eyewitness News to leave when we asked about the bacteria. But one dog owner said lab tests prove the bacteria from the hospital killed his dog Toby.For three years, Toby was always a part of Dan Ehrlich and Sandra Fumei's lives. He was even there when Dan proposed to Sandra."I got on one knee at Lake Eola and I put out one hand and put out his paw and I asked Sandra to marry us," Dan said.
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