A Florida couple is planning to sue Palm Beach County for $50,000 after a county veterinarian accidentally killed a kitten by implanting a microchip into its spine, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The couple is accusing Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control of negligence and trying to cover up the mistake. Their 3-month-old kitten Lolita, a Siamese mix, was killed when she twisted around while veterinarian Daniel Neger was trying to implant the chip with a needle device, the newspaper reported.
There is malpractice for medical doctors, said Kathy Cole, who is suing with her husband Jack. But veterinarians, they seem to get away with it because its never raised.
The Coles are asking for a formal apology and want Neger to be fired.
Animal center director Dianne Sauve responded that Neger is a dedicated and caring vet who is important to the facility. She called the death a tragic accident.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, the animal center implants about 10,000 microchips a year and has never had problems with it before.
Sauvre also said that there was no attempt to mislead the Coles.
What staff was doing was trying to figure out what went wrong and trying to manage an escalating situation in our lobby with a pet owner who was somewhat out of control, she said.
Posted: Feb. 15, 2006, 3 p.m. EST