Fort Worth veterinarian Lou Tierce has been sued by another dog owner who claims he kept her pet dog alive after telling her it had been euthanized. The lawsuit filed Monday claims that the doctor kept her pet Chihuahua Hercules alive and suffering for more than four months without her knowledge.
Kimberly Davis claims she was told by an employee at Tierce's clinic that Hercules was experimented on by Tierce before it was found during an April 29 raid of the clinic, according to news reports.
That raid was executed by Fort Worth police and members of the Texas State Veterinary Board of Medical examiners after Jamie and Marian Harris of Aledo filed a complaint with the board upon learning their dog, a 5-year-old Leonberger named Sid, was similarly kept alive by Tierce long after the couple believed the animal had been put down.
See also: A Fort Worth Vet Is Accused of Keeping Family's "Euthanized" Dog Alive To Harvest Its Blood
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Davis first brought Hercules to a vet because the dog was having difficulty walking. When the problems continued after her visit, Davis sought a second opinion from Tierce. Tierce initially prescribed antibiotics and sent the dog home with Davis after two days.
Davis brought Hercules back to Tierce's clinic for the last time after the dog fell off the bed unconscious on Thanksgiving Day, the suit says. Tierce then asked Davis if she wanted to experiment with the dog's treatment.
Despite phone calls assuring her Hercules was doing better, when Davis went to visit the dog on December 14, it was covered in feces and urine and "unresponsive with his eyes rolled back in his head," the Star-Telegram reported, quoting the lawsuit.
Davis bathed and cleaned the dog, but made the decision to put him down because Tierce told her Hercules' condition had deteriorated.
When she received a call from a Fort Worth police detective four and a half months later informing her the dog had been seized, "Ms. Davis was shocked beyond belief to learn that Hercules had not been euthanized as had been represented by Tierce and was still alive."
Davis' suit accuses Tierce of deceptive trade practices, theft liability, breach of fiduciary duty and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
