Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A couple has criticized the new veterinarian on island, Dr. Barbara Kahi for denying service for their dog and also terminating them as a client.

The couple this week has taken the matter to the Director of the Department of Health, Motusa Tuileama Nua for help.

According to the couple, Dr. Kahi took their dog, Raygen from the Tool Shop parking lot without their permission assuming it was a stray animal. The husband works at Tool Shop and has permission to bring his animal to work.

The couple told Samoa News their dog was not abandoned and she was fed. They discovered her missing around Saturday noon on May 7 when they went to look for her.

On May 12, the couple saw a picture of their dog on ASG DoH Animal Service Facebook page and went to the veterinary clinic to bring their dog home. However, the couple was told that they have to pay the amount of $150 for adoption.

According to the couple, Dr. Kahi claimed that she is upholding the law because the dog was found with no collar at a public area.

The couple claims that the clinic spayed their dog without their consent and gave it a rabies shot. When the dog was returned to them, they saw the dog had swelled up.

On June 6, which was this past Monday, the couple took the dog back to the clinic and Dr. Kahi accused them of not feeding the dog. The couple was told that the dog weighed less now than when it was first brought in.

“That is when Dr. Kahi denied services to my husband and the dog and told him he is no longer allowed to come back to the clinic,” the wife told Samoa News.

According to the couple, the veterinary clinic in Tafuna is the only place that people are able to take their animals to get treated and its is inequitable that Dr. Kahi denies services to any animal.

In an email to the Director of the Department of Health, Motusa Tuileama Nua obtained by Samoa News, Dr Kahi told him that she’s been trying to work with the couple and their dog.

Dr. Kahi explained that on May 6, this dog was wandering through the Tool Shop parking lot and brought to the Veterinary clinic for safe shelter. According to the vet, no one called or came to find the dog and at that time, this couple did not even know the dog was missing.

Dr. Kahi posted the dog on Facebook to find it a home. Shortly after that the couple came forward and claimed that the dog belongs to them.

According to the email Dr. Kahi sent to Motusa, DPS had to intervene with this same client at that time while at the veterinary clinic.

“I’ve had to fire him as a client for refusal to treat his dog appropriately, being argumentative, previously pushing me away from his dog,” the email said.

Dr. Kahi said in her email that the dog has a severely distended abdomen from third space fluid loss from significant malnutrition and starvation. She pulled abdominal fluid (for testing) and found the dog is losing proteins; this occurs with severe malnutrition. The dog also has multiple bite wounds from other dogs.

The vet also stated in her email that the husband wants radiographs, ultrasound and she informed him that they do not have those diagnostics here. The husband will not listen about treatment, which is to feed his dog a higher protein dog food, 26% or better and furosemide to decrease the fluid retention and the husband argued that he feeds his dog.

In an email early yesterday morning, Dr. Kahi requested a meeting with everyone who has been contacted in person over this matter so that fact verification without hearsay can occur.

Until that time, Dr. Kahi said the couple is not allowed at the clinic, although their pets may be brought in by others for treatment.

Samoa New contacted Dr. Kahi via telephone yesterday and she confirmed that she’s requesting a meeting.

In her response to Samoa News inquiries via email, Dr. Kahi confirmed that the couple is not allowed at the clinic until after the meeting has taken place.

 “Per American Samoan law, the dog was a stray. It was wandering in the Tool Shop parking lot and followed me to my truck for food. I inquired in the store with their employees, and no one knew who owned the dog. I brought it to the shelter for safety and sheltering as a stray due to that information,” Dr. Kahi said in her email to Samoa News.