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The PRC performed what it called a "complicated spay" on Lola, a 10-year-old chocolate lab, March 21.
After the procedure, the dog was not kept in veterinary services overnight for monitoring.
"Instead she was put in a kennel and two days later she was found dead," animal advocate Ann Malone stated. "The autopsy states she bled to death."
There are many questions about how PRC handled this case.
"Why was Lola not put in vet services overnight for monitoring?" asked Malone.
Lola was spayed because a rescue placed a hold on her for adoption.
"Why was Lola spayed in the first place?" Malone inquired. "She had a rescue hold, why couldn't the rescue take care of her spay?"
PRC took care of it and now Lola is dead.
In an email response to 8 On Your Side questions about Lola, the Pet Resource Center wrote that on March 29, "PRC leadership sought an independent necropsy from the state of Florida Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory given the serious nature of the necropsy findings."
If a pet is deemed healthy, it is PRC's practice to spay dogs prior to sending them out to rescue groups.
PRC states it performed 7,936 spay/neuter surgeries in 2018.
Lola is one example of questionable medical judgment at the PRC.
Clyde is another.
A kennel empoyee notified veterinary staff that Clyde ate a blanket. Clyde was suffering extreme diarrhea with pieces of the blanket turning up in his stools.
"In my opinion that should have triggered a doctor exam," Lithia veterinarian Dr. Ellen Alence stated.
PRC records show no doctor examined Clyde for another six days.
"This dog did not get the benefit of treatment," Dr. Alence pointed out.
Instead, Clyde stopped eating, lost weight, became lethargic as foreign objects perforated his intestines.
"This dog suffered in a cage for six days and then it was ultimately euthanized," Dr. Alence said as she looked through Clyde's medical records.
"Eating a blanket not being seen by a vet for six days?" Malone asked.
"There's absolutely something wrong and I don't know if it's a management problem. I don't know if it's a staffing problem," Dr. Alence added.
Malone thinks it is high time the Pet Resource Center is investigated.
"I am outraged at the atrocities that go on at the Pet Resource Center," she said.
If you know of something that should be investigated, call our 8 On Your Side Helpline at 1-800-338-0808. Contact Steve Andrews at
sandrews@wfla.com.
