On April 11, 2013, a couple dropped off their American Bulldog named Reyes at a Banfield Pet Hospital for a minor knee surgery. When the couple returned to pick up Reyes, they were told Reyes had died and were given no explanation.
According to the pet owner’s family member, Reyes had been wearing a brace on his knee since he was a puppy. As Reyes grew, the brace had to be replaced with a larger one. That’s when Reyes’ owners took him to Banfield Pet Hospital inside the PetSmart located at 3301 SW 22nd Street. Reyes was only two years old.
When Reyes’ owners were told Reyes had died, the couple demanded an explanation. According to the pet owner’s family, the vet left the building before he could answer their questions. Additionally, the owner’s demanded to see Reyes’ body, but were told his body was nowhere to be found. At this point that the owners began throwing items around at the office inside the animal hospital. The Miami Police were called in, and they arrested Reyes’ owners for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.
Pet Hospital released the following statement:
“At Banfield Pet Hospital, our top priority is providing high-quality veterinary care to each pet we treat. Unfortunately, on Thursday, April 11, 2013, a Bulldog named Reyes died after knee surgery at the Coral Gables location. Reyes appeared to be recovering normally after anesthesia when he unexpectedly went into respiratory and cardiac arrest-the hospital administered CPR but was unsuccessful in reviving Reyes.
At Banfield, and across the veterinary profession, anesthetic procedures are performed on a daily basis. While anesthetic procedures are common and considered safe, anytime a pet undergoes anesthesia there is a rare risk of an unforeseen adverse event. At Banfield we do everything possible to minimize risk or a potential adverse reaction, which means all pets receive pre-anesthesia blood work to ensure the pet is healthy as well as constant monitoring of a pet’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels and other vital signs throughout surgery. We understand how hard it is to lose a pet-our hearts go to the Vargas family for the loss of Reyes.”
Luis Fernandez, PA 