St. Bernard dies two years after surgery! Doctor allegedly made a terrible mistake

Lincoln (USA) - The death of your best (animal) friend is a huge blow for any dog lover. But Kristen Breton found it particularly difficult to come to terms with the death of her St. Bernard. The US-American blames the vet of all people - and has now even sued her for allegedly making a fatal mistake!

The dog is said to have died because the doctor left her surgical tools inside the animal. (symbolic photo)
The dog is said to have died because the doctor left her surgical tools inside the animal. (symbolic photo)  © 123RF/erix2005

In late summer 2022, Breton from the small town of Lincoln (US state of Rhode Island) took her four-legged friend - Princess Freckles - to a doctor at the Rhode Island Animal Medical Center for an unspectacular stomach operation.

It was not her normal vet, as she recently told WPRI 12. This was because he was unable to attend due to renovation work.

Her dog initially seemed to recover normally from the operation, but Princess Freckles gradually began to struggle more and more with stomach problems.

Two years later, the now three-year-old St. Bernard, who was suffering from severe health problems, was x-rayed at another veterinary practice - a metal object was discovered in the dog's stomach!

The doctors told Breton that Princess Freckles would have to undergo a very strenuous operation immediately, which she might not survive due to her condition.

So her owner made a heartbreaking decision.

Kristen Breton mourns the loss of her dog Princess Freckles

St. Bernard had to be euthanized - owner sues vet

The St. Bernard was euthanized. "I hadn't expected it," Breton recalled. "Not even in my wildest dreams would I have believed that I would come home without my dog."

An autopsy confirmed that there had been surgical instruments in Princess Freckles' stomach. "That was the domino that put the whole story together," said the grieving owner. "I was angry that it could have been avoided, and she suffered the whole time."

Breton filed a lawsuit against the vet who operated on her dog in 2022. "This case is all about giving a voice to the voiceless, because no one has less of a voice than a non-speaking patient like a dog," the Breton family's lawyer told People magazine. The doctor's lawyer, on the other hand, said that her client had never had such a mishap in her 13-year career.

Breton, meanwhile, said that she and her two children will never forget Princess Freckles. "She just had a great personality. Everyone loved her."