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Athena after growing a bit (Courtesy photo)

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Summer Thatcher holds Athena as a pup. Athena died after a routine spay procedure at Quail Pointe Veterinary Hospital in Clinton (Courtesy photo)

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Athena after growing a bit (Courtesy photo)

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Kathleen Ford, veterinarian at Quail Pointe Veterinary Hospital in Clinton (Standard-Examiner file photo)

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CLINTON — The state Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing has opened an investigation into the death of a 13-month-old English mastiff, Athena, who died following a spay procedure at Quail Pointe Veterinary Hospital, says a Salt Lake City attorney representing the dog’s owner, Summer Thatcher.

“Great news for Athena and other owners concerned about the activity of the veterinarians at Quail Pointe. (DOPL) has opened an active investigation,” Salt Lake City attorney Paul Lydolph III told the Standard Examiner in an email.

Because of the actions of hospital staff, Thatcher claims, Athena bled out and died April 9 within an hour of leaving the Clinton animal hospital where a spay procedure was performed on her pet.

“The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) can neither confirm nor deny there is an active investigation. If consumers have complaints against this licensee (veterinarian Dr. Kathleen Ford), they may submit a complaint with DOPL at the following Web link: http://www.dopl.utah.gov/investigations/complaint.html,” said DOPL spokeswoman Jennifer Bolton.

Current or former employees of Quail Pointe, a veterinarian who may have treated animals coming from Quail Pointe, owners of a pet receiving negligent care at the hospital or anyone with direct knowledge of the Athena case are encouraged to contact DOPL, Lydolph said.

“Your communication may save many lives. For a trial or investigation, overwhelming evidence is critical,” Lydolph said, encouraging others with concerns surrounding the Clinton animal hospital to contact DOPL.

Ford, who maintains the dog died because of a blood coagulation problem following the procedure, told the Standard-Examiner she has yet to hear from Thatcher’s attorney or DOPL officials, but when or if she does hear from the state, she intends to fully cooperate with them.

“We don’t have a problem with that,” Ford said, welcoming the investigation. “They are going to find that we did everything to perform a good surgery. There is nothing more we could have done to save (Athena’s) life.”

But if DOPL is investigating the matter, Ford said, she would like it to contact her quickly so she can put this incident behind her.

“We haven’t heard anything,” Ford said, referring to both herself and attorney Steven McMurray with Fabian Law, of Salt Lake City, who is representing the hospital in the matter.

Thatcher said she dropped Athena off at the Clinton animal hospital around 8:30 a.m. April 9. About two hours later, she said, she received a call from hospital staff saying they needed to remove the dog’s spleen.

Ford said they called Thatcher after completing the spay procedure, and again after noticing blood pooling in the dog’s abdominal cavity. But Ford claims even after the dog’s spleen was removed, Athena continued to bleed, but more slowly.

Through social media, Thatcher has questioned the actions of the veterinarians, stating everything they did on her dog after the splenectomy, they did without her permission.

She is also concerned they sewed her pet back up while her dog was still actively bleeding and that they debated with her for 2 1/2 hours over her vet bill while her dog remained in critical condition.

Ford said that, in her 26 years of being a veterinarian, Athena is the first dog she has ever had bleed out following a spay.

The hospital has reached out to Thatcher by sending her a sympathy card and flowers, Ford said.

Thatcher has denied those claims.