Westfield Veterinary Group Lost My Dog's Biopsy Specimen
I never imagined I would have to write a review like this.
I entrusted Westfield Veterinary Group with the health of my seven-year-old Shih Tzu, Juju, during one of the most frightening experiences a pet owner can face. Instead of receiving answers and peace of mind, I was left with permanent uncertainty because my dog's biopsy specimen was lost before it was ever submitted to pathology.
On May 22, I brought Juju to Westfield Veterinary Group after discovering a mass near one of her mammary glands. During our consultation, I was informed that because of the location of the mass there was approximately a 50/50 chance it could be cancerous.
Like any pet owner, hearing the word "cancer" was devastating.
I wanted to act immediately and give Juju every possible chance if the mass proved to be malignant. Based on the veterinarian's recommendation, I scheduled surgery to remove the mass, submit it to pathology for testing, and have Juju spayed during the same procedure.
Dr. Raiffe performed Juju's surgery on June 23.
Only four days later, on June 27, I received a phone call informing me that Juju's biopsy specimen had been lost before it was ever sent to pathology.
Read that again.
The very reason I agreed to surgery was to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Because the specimen was lost, that opportunity is gone forever.
There is no replacement tissue.
There is no second chance.
There is no way to recreate that specimen.
Instead, I have been left wondering whether my dog had--or still has--cancer because an irreplaceable medical specimen was misplaced before it could even be tested.
As shocking as that news was, what happened afterward made the experience even more difficult.
I was told that Dr. Raiffe personally searched through the dumpster in an attempt to locate Juju's biopsy specimen.
While I appreciate the effort to recover it, hearing that only reinforced how catastrophic this mistake truly was. A biopsy specimen should never end up in a situation where searching through a dumpster becomes part of the solution.
It immediately raised questions in my mind about the specimen handling procedures, chain of custody, and safeguards that were supposed to exist to prevent something like this from ever happening.
I hoped that after such a significant error, the practice would respond with transparency, accountability, compassion, and proactive communication.
Instead, I found myself repeatedly calling the practice looking for updates and answers.
Eventually, I spoke with Practice Manager Linda and Dr. Raiffe.
During that conversation, Dr. Raiffe laughed while discussing the situation. As someone who had just learned that the biopsy intended to determine whether my dog had cancer had been lost, I found that reaction deeply upsetting and dismissive.
I was also told by the Practice Manager:
"We are willing to offer a concession to you as a client... in the balance of $500 because we recognize this is a mistake."
When I replied that it wasn't really a courtesy because the mistake was entirely theirs, I was told:
"We don't have to do that at all... that's the truth."
Those words spoke volumes.
I also want to acknowledge my own role in these conversations.
I was devastated, overwhelmed, and at times expressed my frustration with profanity. I take responsibility for my choice of words.
However, what made an already heartbreaking situation even worse was feeling that my emotional reaction was met with defensiveness instead of empathy. Rather than recognizing that I was reacting to the loss of an irreplaceable biopsy specimen, I felt my emotions became the focus of the conversation instead of the mistake itself.
This has never been about money.
I declined the $500 because this was never about receiving compensation.
It has always been about accountability.
It has always been about trust.
It has always been about my dog's health.
Since the day I was told there was a possibility Juju's mass could be cancerous, I have lived with tremendous anxiety. I was relieved when we were able to move quickly with surgery because I believed we would finally have an answer. That answer was taken away when her biopsy specimen was lost.
Dr. Raiffe wanted to continue caring for Juju. Unfortunately, once her biopsy specimen was lost, the trust that is essential between a veterinarian and a pet owner had already been broken. As difficult as that decision was, I no longer felt comfortable entrusting Juju's care to Westfield Veterinary Group and sought treatment elsewhere. My responsibility is to advocate for Juju, and I believed finding a veterinarian I could fully trust was the right decision for her continued care.
Westfield Veterinary Group publicly promotes values such as Compassion, Collaboration, and Community.
Unfortunately, those values were not reflected in my experience. read more