Telford vets 'put the wrong kitten to sleep'

A Shropshire woman today claimed county vets had put down her pet kitten by mistake.

Mandy Raab, of Telford, said she was told by Wrekin View Vets that one of her two kittens needed to be put to sleep because of a deteriorating leg condition. Miss Raab had originally taken her rescue kittens, Tammy and Maddy, into the practice to be neutered.

But Mandy and partner Paul Saxton said they later discovered the wrong one had been put down.

Wrekin View Vets, in Wellington, has refused to comment on the matter but Miss Raab said they had now given her two new kittens.

She said she was also in the process of making a complaint to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Miss Raab, 36, of Dukes View, Donnington, had taken the kittens into the practice last week and was told Maddy was suffering from a deteriorating leg condition and needed to be put to sleep.

She said Maddy was in the poorer condition of the two kittens when she took them on in December.

"Tammy became my little girl. She used to follow me everywhere. When it came time for them to be neutered, Paul took them to Wrekin View and explained that Maddy had a bad leg.

"The vet called me later in the day to say the leg condition was deteriorating and the kindest thing would be to put Maddy to sleep. That left me in bits but I agreed. I didn't want her to suffer."

She alleged: "When Paul went to collect Tammy the same day he knew instantly that the cat they had at the vets was Maddy. It was Tammy they had put to sleep.

"A staff member told me subsequently that a veterinary nurse had picked Tammy up by mistake when it was time for Maddy to be put to sleep. I was so upset."

Miss Raab said the vets were returning both cats' ashes to her next week as well as a memorial plaque.

Ian Holloway, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons spokesman, said: "Allegations of negligence are usually resolved between the parties or by the civil courts.

"There are occasions, though, when the alleged negligence is so serious as to be an issue of professional conduct. Where this appears to be a real possibility, we will investigate."

By Simon Hardy