Owner frantic, furious after emergency vet loses dog

By Joshua Skinner

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    DECATUR, Georgia (WANF) — A Little Five Points woman is frantic and furious after an emergency vet in Decatur lost her dog.

A week ago, Hannah Riley could not have imagined she’d spend the next week searching for one of the most important parts of her life.

“If you can’t tell, I haven’t slept since she went missing,” Riley said of her appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Riley rescued her dog, Hazel, a Papillion, six years ago. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

“She’s my heart dog,” Riley said. “I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime relationship I’ll have with an animal.”

Workers at Saint Francis Specialists and Emergency lost Hazel on Sunday. She had ingested a potentially poisonous substance left out by the dog sitter while Riley was on vacation in Canada.

“I honestly can’t think about the vet without white-hot rage,” she said.

Riley quickly flew back to Atlanta and went to the vet, who she says has not communicated well with her.

“They have done incredibly little,” Riley said.

The physical location of Saint Francis, which sits along a very busy Dekalb Industrial Way, adds to the worry.

Feeling like the vet wasn’t doing enough, Riley’s viral Twitter post asking for help accelerated the search.

When Atlanta News First showed up at the vet Wednesday afternoon, we found vet workers distributing flyers around the neighborhood.

Saint Francis declined an in-person interview but did provide a statement apologizing for the incident, saying:

We are deeply sorry about an incident that occurred on Sunday, March 17 at Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency location in Decatur. A dog named Hazel escaped from the hospital property after a staff member took her outside the gated area before she was leashed. This action violated hospital policy and procedures, and corrective action has been taken to prevent any future incidents of this nature.

Since yesterday, we have been in contact with the owner, who is understandably worried about her beloved dog, and we’re taking all available measures to locate Hazel.

If anyone sees a dog matching Hazel’s description, please contact Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency immediately at 404-924-20000, open 24/7, or local animal control.

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