A "vampire" veterinarian turned himself in on animal cruelty charges after allegedly keeping a dying 5-year-old dog hidden at his Fort Worth animal clinic and using the animal to supply blood for transfusions for six months. The dog is fine now and back with its owners.
Dr. Lou Tierce had told the pet's owners that the dog was dying and had to be put down, but then kept the Leonberger named Sid for six months inside a hidden cage at the Camp Bowie Animal Clinic, surrounded by his own waste, according to whistle-blowing vet technician Mary Brewer.
Brewer contacted the dog's owners and alerted them of what was happening,
NBCDFW.com reported. They then contacted authorities.
"It was like getting punched in the stomach and then some," the dog's owner Marian Harris told NBC News. "This has rocked our world. My kids are like, 'How does somebody do this?' How does this happen?"
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According to Harris, Brewer called her on Tuesday and told her to come immediately to the veterinary clinic and pick up Sid, saying "he's here waiting on you. If you came today, he'd walk out and jump in your car." Without hesitation, Harris with her family rushed to the clinic to free their dog.
After Sid was rescued, the Harris family contacted the police, resulting in both state and local authorities raiding the clinic and seizing several animals as evidence in an animal cruelty investigation against Tierce.
After arriving at Fort Worth police headquarters on Wednesday, flanked by his attorney and family members, Tierce posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail. None had any comment.
In addition to the cruelty charges for the treatment of Sid, The Tarrant County Health Department is also said to be investigating the clinic for unsanitary conditions.
A trial date for Tierce has yet to be set.
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