Americans may have less money to spend, but what they have, they appear to be spending on their dogs and more notably, on pet health insurance, a relatively small but exponentially growing market as Americans discover that their dog’s health insurance policy can be better than any policy the human members of their families have access to….
As of August 13, thirteen dogs in the United States have been confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus […]
A class action suit against sellers of prescription pet food (including Mars, Hill’s, Purina, two veterinary hospital networks, and retailer Petsmart) that was filed by six California dog and cat owners in 2016 was revived by a federal court last week, overturning a district court ruling. The claims are based on California consumer protection laws.
Asked about the enforcement process and how the Board implements its orders, Cave explained, “Because California is a huge state, the [VMB] can’t be everywhere at all times.” Cave added that if a person is aware of a veterinarian who is operating on a revoked license, that person should file a complaint as a way of alerting the [Vet Board] to the possible violation. “And, then, what the Board has at their disposal is either to send out an inspector or, at the Department of Consumer Affairs, we have our own law enforcement unit. They’re called the Division of Investigation (DOI). They’re actually peace officers, but they’re under DCA.” Cave says these officers are able to set up undercover sting operations depending on the severity. “If the board is tipped off, then they definitely move on those quickly.”
In America’s heartland, a new and unlikely participant has joined the debates that have defined so much of the COVID-19 pandemic: Wisconsin veterinarian and practice owner Kristie Ponce of Wisconsin Rapids, where the local economy is being ravaged by the pandemic. Dr. Ponce and her practice started attracting media attention earlier in July when, according to Ponce, she and her staff were ordered by local health department authorities to quarantine at home after one employee tested positive for COVID-19.
A family’s beloved 7-year-old German shepherd dog “Buddy” was euthanized earlier this month, 41 days after becoming the first confirmed canine case of COVID-19 in the United States. Buddy’s owners, Allison and Robert Mahoney of Staten Island, New York, have provided a gut-wrenching account of what they and Buddy endured during his final weeks.
The Mountain View Voice is reporting today that although California veterinarian Tejpaul Ghumman’s license was revoked by the state’s Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) earlier this month along with his ‘premise license’ to operate Alta View Animal Hospital, which he co-owns, Alta View Animal Hospital continues to be open for business and Ghumman is continuing to work there.
Last week, high-end specialty and emergency veterinary hospital network BluePearl announced in a press release that, based on data from all ninety of its hospitals throughout the United States, there had been a 70% increase in canine parvovirus cases during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the same period in the previous five years.
TCR is requesting a correction or clarification in a VIN News story by reporter Edie Lau. Lau has not yet made any changes to her story, nor has she responded to TCR’s most recent e-mail. TCR is publishing the exchange with Lau in full:
BluePearl, a high-end network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals, announced last week that its hospitals have seen a 70 percent increase in parvovirus cases: