Veterinarian admits to performing wrong surgery on family dog, owner says

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglasville man plans to sue a local veterinarian after he claims the wrong surgery was performed on his 1-year-old dog.

Mark Hutchins told Channel 2's Audrey Washington he dropped off his English bulldog Axel at the Douglasville Veterinary Hospital to have a minor eye procedure and to be neutered.

But when he arrived to pick up Axel days later, Hutchins said the veterinarian Dr. Phil Lukert admitted to making a mistake and performed a bladder surgery instead.

"He himself said he performed the surgery and ended up cutting the wrong dog open," Hutchins said.

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Hutchins said he was told the doctor got Axel and another brown and white English bulldog mixed up. That dog was due to have bladder surgery for kidney stones.

Now Axel is experiencing some complications and the veterinarian offered to take care of everything free of charge. But Hutchins wants the vet to pay for future expenses somewhere else.

“I can’t take my dog back to the same vet that neglected him," he said.

Hutchins showed Washington some paperwork which documents the wrong surgery. So Washington went to Dr. Lukert's office. The veterinarian met her in the lobby, but he said he could not speak because of the pending lawsuit.

Hutchins took Axel to get checked out by another doctor, who said the dog is still healing but should fully recover.

Cox Media Group