Re: Warning pet owners

I am Kathleen Hoffer, who owned a 12

3⁄4 year old Miniature Schnauzer. Her name was Zoie. On May 19, my sonin-law took her to the 24 hour facility on Onstott Rd. in Yuba City. He arrived there at approximately 8:00 pm. She was dehydrated and was throwing up bile and had diarrhea. The Triage Tech did not do an adequate assessment. She was not seen by a veterinarian until approximately 1:30 am. No treatment was given to her, not even IV hydration during that time. She was then admitted and standard treatment was done.

I was called and told I had to get her care at another hospital for the next evening, as they did not have a vet to cover the evening hours. I was shocked. How could a 24 hour hospital not have enough vets to handle the care? I finally got to Atlantic Street in Roseville and they agreed to take Zoie. Trina and Jason picked her up the next day at 4:00 and brought her there where she was in serious condition. She did not have an IV in place for the trip, just the port.

She was in until May 24th. She didn’t eat and there really was little improvement. On the 23rd, they decided to put a feeding tube in. When they sprayed the Novocaine in her nostril, her heart stopped and she stopped breathing. They began CPR and all the cardiac procedures. Unbelievably, they got a heart beat and I instructed them to keep working on her. They got her back and she sat up and looked at them. They were so shocked. However, around midnight, she needed oxygen, plasma, and her veins had collapsed. The vet said her prognosis was not good. They felt even if she survived, given her age and all the conditions she had, she would not have quality of life.

I told them to take out all the tubes and Tiffany, my daughter, was on her way from Loma Rica and I would be there to see her one last time. We held her, she looked at both of us as to say, “I love you and goodbye.” She had fought the most incredible fight in those six days. It was time for her body to rest. Heaven received the most incredible, loving dog soul ever.

I am telling Zoie’s story to help warn other pet owners of the situation at this facility. They are lacking veterinarians so they are sending animals off in the middle of care to other facilities and hospitals out of town. The Triage techs are not properly trained to adequately access the animals. Most importantly, they are an emergency care facility but NOT operating like one. Yet, the owners are billed for the expensive care.

I have made some serious demands on the headquarters and if there is no change, then it will go to the next legal steps.

Please send me an email at katcruiser08@ live.com with your name and number, your pets and the amount you spent there for care if you wish to be included in legal action that will take place after 7/15/21.

Thank you for reading this letter and it is my prayer that no other animal has to go through what Zoie did by lack of adequate emergency care.

Kathleen M. Hoffer,

Yuba City