Cat Heads To Vet For Flea Bath, Gets Euthanized Instead

The year before Colleen Conlon’s daughter died in a car accident, she bought her mother a special gift, a gray and white cat. Lady was a fluffy 8-year-old when Conlon’s son took her to the vet for a flea bath.

Lady was put down, instead.

The Stir reports on how this “routine vet trip turned into a nightmare” when Conlon’s son, Jesse, 24, signed the papers to have Lady de-bugged. It turns out that when Jesse brought Lady to the Broadway Animal hospital last week, he was given the wrong paperwork – and signed it. Vet Muhammad Malik accordingly put Lady to sleep.

Jesse had returned to drop off a second cat, according to ABC News, before he realized the mistake. When the vet asked if Jesse wanted Lady’s remains, Jesse balked. “At first he thought it was some cruel joke,” Conlon told the Telegram Gazette.

The vet allegedly claims that he is not totally to blame, since all correct paperwork was signed. Even Conlon admits to ABC News, “I don’t think there was any malicious intent, but I do think it was negligent. I’m sure there are standards of practice they have to follow.”

Conlon has filed a complaint to discuss the vet’s state licensing with the attorney general’s office.