PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — R.I. House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi is calling for change after a mistake made during a routine medical procedure two years ago caused the death of a Lincoln woman’s dog.
Kristen Breton and her two daughters have filed a lawsuit against the veterinarian who spayed and performed a gastropexy on their St. Bernard puppy after a pair of hemostats and a wad of medical-grade gauze were found in her abdomen. The dog, named Princess Freckles, became gravely ill and had to be humanely euthanized last spring.
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Breton is seeking compensatory damages for her financial losses, since the law generally regards dogs as personal property.
“We filed this lawsuit to shine a light on the malpractice that happened,” her attorney Marshall Raucci said. “This should have never happened because doctors, especially surgeons, have to adhere to the standard of care.”…