CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Local veterinarian Ronald Whitford has forfeited his license following an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Health found that he had committed “gross malpractice” leading up to the death of a family dog.

The 73-year-old Whitford is the owner of St. Bethlehem Animal Clinic, located on Warfield Boulevard. Aside from Whitford, St. Bethlehem employs two other veterinarians.

‘Gross malpractice’

Whitford performed a spay procedure on a 4-year-old German Shepherd named Molly on May 16, 2018. According to TDH’s findings, Molly became lethargic after the surgery, and those in attendance observed a “small amount of blood.” This led Whitford to reopen Molly to ensure that all ligatures were intact.

Medical records state that Whitford started an IV for Molly, but did not shave the location due to the urgent nature of the emergency. But a witness to the procedure said that no IV was used and that when Molly was reopened, about a liter of blood came from her body.

Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory in Nashville examined Molly’s body after the fact and reported no needle marks, supporting the claim that no IV was administered. Kord also reported signs of hemorrhaging.

Molly’s owners respond

Whitford contacted owners William and Christopher Everett to inform them of Molly’s death. When the pair arrived at the facility, Whitford was out to lunch and did not return for “a significant amount of time.” When Whitford returned, an argument between Whitford and the owners ensued, and the Everetts were asked to leave.

Following TDH’s investigation, Whitford was fined a civil penalty of $1,500 (plus costs of prosecuting the case). He also voluntarily forfeited his license.

“Obviously, we were both upset that our dog had died. (Whitford) did not seem very sorry. He did not seem like he had any remorse that our dog died,” said William Everett. “I am just glad that he can’t do this to anybody else’s animals.”

Not the first time

This is not Whitford’s first time being investigated for malpractice. In 2016, TDH placed him on probation after a pit bull named Harley died within two hours of a spay procedure performed by Whitford. Murray State Breathlitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, found that the dog died from post-surgical hemorrhage and cited “poor surgical technique.”

According to a 2017 report by the Leaf Chronicle, Harley’s owner Tiffany Cato was told that her dog died as a result of canine parvovirus. Breathlitt confirmed that Harley showed no signs of parvo and had been improperly stitched up.

Whitford received two years of probationary status and was fined $1,000.

The Everetts said they were unaware that Whitford was on probation at the time of Molly’s procedure.

Whitford responds

Whitford told Clarksville Now on Tuesday that his decision to retire was not connected to the investigation, and that he is retiring due to cervical disc problems and basal bone arthritis of the thumb, which caused him to lose strength in one of his arms and thumbs.

Whitford did not acknowledge Molly’s death as a motivator for the forfeiture of his license or his retirement.

“There’s a lot of people that didn’t like me anyways,” said Whitford. “We don’t have anything to say. We just learned not to worry about it when things like this come up.”

Whitford said he will be retiring to his farm in Cedar Hill, itself the topic of controversy, as detailed in a report by the Leaf Chronicle. He remains owner of St. Bethlehem Animal Clinic.

Correction: A previous version of this article referred to a Robert Whitford. The name of the person in question is Ronald Whitford.