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VET FAKED DOG’S
DEATH
 ABC
News Nov. 11, 2005 — It
had been a rough time for Buttons. The 3-year-old toy fox terrier, who has
pancreatitis and a heart murmur, was ill for more than a month, vomiting daily
and undergoing treatment both at home and at an animal hospital.
Buttons' condition was not improving, and the prognosis was not promising.
Despite conflicting emotions, her owners decided to end her misery. "We just
didn't want her suffering," Betty Jody Kimberlin said.
So her husband of 50 years, James Kimberlin, took Buttons to Companion Animal
Hospital in Collierville, TN, and watched as she was put to sleep — or so he
thought, until she arrived back at their home days later, yapping and happy to
see him.
"She looked up at me and she started talking, making funny noises," he said.
"She jumped up in my arms, and you talk about love at second sight, that was it.
This was really something."
The strange tale of Buttons' apparent resurrection has led to complaints being
filed against a Collierville veterinarian, Jerry A. Truitt. An employee said
Truitt was not at Companion Animal Hospital when ABCNEWS.com tried to contact
him, and the hospital declined comment. Truitt and the hospital also would not
comment when questioned by ABC affiliate WPTY in Memphis.
Revived and Renamed
According to her owners, Buttons is a feisty little dog whose demeanor belies
her strong pedigree. "They're good, well-bred dogs — Buttons doesn't act it,"
Mrs. Kimberlin said with a laugh.
Though the couple has had and lost many dogs, she said, she and her husband were
crushed about Buttons' illness. "We loved all the dogs that we had, but Buttons
was just like another child almost — she still is," she said.
When he took her to the hospital for the last time, Mr. Kimberlin was torn. "I
carried her around as long as I could," he said. "I cried like a baby."
Still, he signed a euthanasia form authorizing the animal clinic to put Buttons
to sleep and reiterated his wishes to Truitt, who then gave her an injection.
"She just laid down and I asked him to listen with a stethoscope to listen to
her heart. He did, and he said, 'She's gone,'" Kimberlin said. "I said, 'Thank
you,' and I was boo-hooing. I walked on out to my car and boo-hooed for a long
time before I could even leave. It was terrible. I've never done anything so
hard in my life."
Theresa Stewart, a veterinary technician at the animal hospital who cared for
Buttons during her stays there, was not working the Tuesday last month when
Kimberlin brought her in. Stewart learned she had been euthanized when she
returned the next day, and she signed a sympathy card that was sent to the
Kimberlins — which Truitt signed as well.
So she was quite surprised that Thursday when she saw Buttons in a cage in the
treatment area of the hospital — and an attached card said her name was Zipper.
"It was crazy," Stewart said. "The dog knows me. The dog's wagging her tail,
screaming, hollering."
Stewart said she asked the doctor on duty what had happened and was told Buttons
now was named Zipper and would be up for adoption.
Since she suspected Zipper was actually Buttons and rightfully belonged to the
Kimberlins, Stewart told the doctors she wanted to adopt the dog so she could
take her from the hospital. "By this time she had quit vomiting and was doing
well," she said.
Stewart copied the dog's records and had her examined by an outside veterinarian
to confirm that Zipper was in fact Buttons. He told her that their physical
characteristics matched and she should take Buttons back to the Kimberlins.
"It was great," Stewart said of the reunion. "I'll never forget the look on his
face when he saw his little dog."
"We were just astounded," Mrs. Kimberlin said. "We could not believe it."
Though she still is not completely well, Buttons' health has improved thanks to
a special no-fat diet prescribed by a new veterinarian. "It's just all been a
miracle, really a miracle," Mrs. Kimberlin said. "We're really, really
thankful."
Mystery Remains
Though the Kimberlins are grateful to have more time with their pet, many
questions remain. They said Truitt called them Wednesday after WPTY reported the
story and said he would return the money they spent on Buttons' treatment, which
is more than $1,000.
"This gentleman even sent us a sympathy card," Mrs. Kimberlin said. "All I know
is they didn't want us to get ahold of her."
Stewart resigned from the hospital, filed a complaint with the Collierville
Police Department and says she will do the same with the state licensing
authorities, although it's not clear that any laws were broken or any ethics
were violated.
"I don't understand their reasoning for doing it," she said, explaining that
usually if a doctor does not think a dog should be euthanized, he or she refuses
to do it or offers to take custody of the dog to care for it.
In this case, she said, records show Buttons was put under anesthesia used for
surgery when Mr. Kimberlin was in the office. "To anybody that doesn't work in
the medical profession it would appear this dog was dead," she said.
Though they are upset, the Kimberlins said, they do not want to "ruin" Truitt.
"We want to change this man," Mrs. Kimberlin said. "We want to see that he's
more honest with other people because he shouldn't be in business if he's not
going to be ethical."
Meanwhile, the Kimberlins are enjoying having Buttons around, even if she's a
bit more calm than her usual hyper self.
"She doesn't have the energy that she used to have at all. She's still not
well," Mr. Kimberlin said. "I just hope we can keep her. I'm going to let her
pass away here. I'm not going to take her to a vet unless it's one I like."
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