Her AKC registered name was Holyrood's Remember Me, but Hannah, a daughter of my Ch. Bonnie Brier James Butler, CD TD, was the sweetest girl and she has been gone for two years now. It took that many years to follow the proper channels for justice to be served. She died because of Dr. Stephen Tobin, a veterinarian in Meriden, Connecticut. I am sharing the outcome of Hannah's story in the hopes that it gives courage and knowledge to others that they, too, can seek justice if misconduct, negligence or incompetence from a veterinarian that resulted in an animal's pain and suffering or death is suspected. You have a voice. Your cherished companions have a voice in YOU.

August 13, 2003, nearly two full years after I started my journey for justice for Hannah, I received the State of Connecticut, Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine's Memorandum of Decision (Stephen Tobin, D.V.M. / Petition No. 2001-0919-047-027). The public has access to this information. [Comments in brackets are mine]
6. On or about June 5, 2001, sometime after 8:30 a.m., Tobin performed surgery and provided post-surgical treatment to Hannah.
7. The surgery lasted for two hours; Tobin removed a mass about the size of a tennis ball, and performed the spaying. However, Tobin failed to secure the uterine stump with the necessary two ligatures. The only ligature that was used became loose shortly after the surgery. Hannah lost a significant amount of blood through the uterine stump and the pedicle that was left after the mass was removed.
12. Because Hannah weighed 18 lbs. and she lost a significant amount of blood during the surgery, 200 milliliters of fluid administered subcutaneously was insufficient to compensate for Hannah's hypovolemic condition. [In Small Claims Court, Tobin said to the judge it was not proven she was in hypovolemic shock]
13. Tobin failed to conduct tests to diagnose blood lost and abdominal bleeding.
14. The anesthetic that Tobin provided to Hannah for the surgery was 0.5 milliliters of Ace-Ketaset. Such anesthetic is inadequate for visceral pain. [This means to me Hannah suffered with great pain]
15. Tobin failed to transfer Hannah to a critical care facility when she looked pale, weak and tired from the surgery and experienced significant amount of blood loss.
16. Tobin exercised poor judgment and failed to monitor Hannah when he released Hannah
[I was told three times, when I called at 3 p.m. that day, that Hannah was fine!]

• 1-Journey for Justice  • 2-Order  • 3-Steps to Take  • 4-Be Prepared

"Remember Me" -
Remember Hannah
Our Journey for Justice

By Christine Swingle