Cover Image Credit: Andrea Martinez facebook
In a tragic case of miscommunication, the wrong dog was euthanized when a veterinarian mistakenly called the wrong dog owner, seeking permission to put the dog down. Ziggy, a dachshund puppy belonging to Andrea Martinez was taken to a Davis County animal hospital for treatment on Sunday, in Utah. The puppy had trouble breathing and was vomiting, for which the owner was informed that surgery needed to be performed to clear the blockage in Ziggy’s stomach and intestines. Martinez agreed to go ahead with the expensive surgery and the pup would have to stay at the hospital overnight.
As Ziggy was undergoing the surgery, the veterinarian realized that the procedure was going to be much more complicated and expensive than expected. He then called, who he assumed was Ziggy’s owner, to get permission to “go ahead and lay him down” as reported by Fox News. Martinez received a call at two in the morning informing her that Ziggy was euthanized. It was only when she freaked out that the vet realized his mistake and put her on hold to get his bearings. “Then he got back on there and he apologized and said, ‘I’m so sorry that this happened, we got confused and ended up calling another dog’s mom,’” Martinez told Local12.
In a post that Martinez shared on Facebook, that has since been deleted, she explained that she would not be pressing charges against the hospital. “It was an honest mistake, they owned it, and are taking steps to make things okay,” she wrote as reported by the Daily Mail. “Ziggy was really sick and from the sounds of it, I’m not sure he would’ve even made it, after all, said and done.” She went on to say that she has not been able to stop crying and that the whole incident makes her feel sick to the stomach. “They robbed me the choice of saying “at-least We tried,” she said on the post. “How do you tell a 6-year-old her best friend died and we didn’t have a choice to try everything to stop him from dying,” she wondered as she remembered how Ziggy followed her around everywhere, even cuddling with her at night which helped her ease her anxiety.
The vet, whose identity is not disclosed, has since apologized to Martinez and has not only offered to waive the bill but also gave the family an urn with Ziggy’s ashes as well as a Christmas ornament with the pup’s paw print. “I do wish we would’ve had to chance to find out tho but life happens and we have to learn to adjust and learn and grow from it. I will forever miss him but at least I know he’s not in pain anymore,” she wrote in the post as reported by the Daily Mail.