Chihuahua owner accuses Millard Lucien Tierce, DVM, of gross negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
On June 2, 2014 a second lawsuit was filed against Tierce over the treatment of a patient at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic. Like the Harrises, Kimberly Davis of Dallas County, Texas, alleges that Tierce committed gross negligence and infliction of emotional distress.
In November 2013, Davis took her 12-year-old Chihuahua, Hercules, to a veterinary clinic because the dog was having difficulty walking and standing and had also stopped eating and drinking, the lawsuit states. The first veterinarian she saw prescribed antibiotics. Davis took the dog to Tierce for a second opinion and he diagnosed hydrocephalus. Hercules was treated for two days and released back into Davis’ care.
A few weeks later, Hercules began having difficulty walking again and fell off of Davis’ bed, hitting his head and leaving him unconscious and dry heaving. According to the lawsuit, Davis suspected Hercules had severe brain damage and needed to be euthanized. She took the dog back to Tierce’s clinic to be euthanized and alleges that Tierce asked her, “Do you want to experiment?” She consented out of a desire to save Hercules’ life.
Over the following two weeks Davis spoke on the phone daily with Tierce about Hercules’ progress and was assured he was not suffering, the lawsuit states. However, when she went into the clinic to visit, she found the dog in a small cage, unresponsive, with his eyes rolled back in his head and covered in feces and urine. At that time she told the technician present she wanted the dog euthanized and was told that it would be done and the dog would be buried on Tierce’s ranch.
After the investigation of the clinic in late April 2014, four and a half months after Hercules was supposed to have been euthanized, Davis received a call from investigators stating they had sized a Chihuahua named Hercules and asked if it was her dog. The dog was taken to another veterinary clinic and examined and euthanized. Davis received a call from a former clinic employee stating that Hercules had been experimented on and had suffered under Tierce’s care. Like the Harrises, Davis is asking for damages in excess of $1 million.