Dr. Lou Tierce of Fort Worth turned himself in Wednesday night after a warrant was issued on the charge of cruelty to animals.
The charge came after a raid at Tierce's Camp Bowie Animal Clinic on Tuesday, following a complaint filed by the owner of one of the dogs that was supposed to be put down.
Dr. Tierce was released on $10,000 bond.
Marian Harris told Fort Worth police and Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners officials that she brought her Leonberger, Sid, to Dr. Tierce in May 2013. In October, Tierce told him that Sid had a congenital birth defect, and should be euthanized.
"Harris asked whether there was anything that could be done to cure this condition, and Dr. Tierce restated that nothing could be done," the complaint read.
Six months after Sid was supposedly put down, former Camp Bowie employee Mary Brewer stated that she saw the dog being prepped for a blood transfusion.
"I remember coming in and them extracting blood from Sid, and basically shaving him, extracting his blood for the other animal upstairs," Brewer told investigators.
Brewer called the Harris family, who then stole the dog from the clinic. When Ms. Harris confronted Dr. Tierce, he said he kept Sid alive at his employees' request.
"He said, 'I didn't put him down because my staff said they would quit if I did,'" Harris said. "And so, we kind of felt like that was an admission of knowing what our intentions had been and willfully not following them."
Upon examination by another vet, Harris found out that her dog had mange, and definitely been used for blood transfusions.
Brewer said there was also a cat at the clinic that was kept alive instead of being euthanized.
The Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the case.
