PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WKRC/WJAR/CNN Newsource) – A family was suing a veterinarian after claiming they left surgical tools inside their dog during a routine pet surgery leading to the death of their beloved Saint Bernard.
The Breton family claimed that surgical tools were left inside their dog, Princess Freckles, causing her untimely death two years later. In August 2022, Kristen Breton took Princess Freckles to the Rhode Island Animal Medical Center for a spay procedure.
“Everything seemed normal, there was no sign at the time that anything was clinically wrong,” said Breton.
However, over time, Princess Freckles began experiencing severe stomach issues.
By May 2024, the symptoms had worsened, prompting Breton to rush her dog to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists. There, she received a shocking question: “Is it possible she could have swallowed scissors?”
An X-ray revealed surgical scissors and gauze left inside Princess Freckles during her spay two years earlier. The 3-year-old dog was in kidney failure and surgery was not an option.
“I just wasn't ready,” said Breton. “She was 3 and it was also kind of such a gross ending to her life that I was feeling incomplete.”
Breton was suing the pet hospital and Dr. Deborah Hirschmann, the veterinarian who performed the spay.
“This is a clear case of malpractice,” said Marshall Raucci, Breton's lawyer. “Because the necropsy that was performed was so clear and is so glaring.”
Breton emphasized that the case was about more than justice.
“We just need to have laws that are more equitable to the value of an animal and to protect the humans who take care of them,” she said.
Dr. Hirschmann was placed on two-year probation and ordered to undergo professional training by the Rhode Island Department of Health.
