False Advertising: BluePearl 24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital does not provide emergency surgery after 6:00 pm.
On May 9, 2022, around 6:30 pm, Bean, an 8-year-old rescue throwback pomeranian, was attacked by a large dog on the street of Philadelphia, PA, right outside of his home. He was quickly rushed to BluePearl South Philadelphia where they accepted Bean into their care.
After reviewing his radiology, the team at BluePearl decided that Bean could wait for surgery until late the next morning, 14+ hours away. He had puncture wounds in his neck and a tear in his trachea. He was stabilized upon arrival and they tapped air out of his chest. They initially quoted $6-8k for treatment.
By midnight, within a few hours in their care, his lungs collapsed and he needed to be intubated in order to breathe. Due to his continuous decline, they offered to keep him intubated until the next morning. They had little faith that he would make it through surgery with anesthesia. They quoted $10-12k to continue treatment and encouraged us to euthanize him. Since we had waited hours for surgery, we now risked the chance of him passing as he waited or while he was under anesthetics. They still wouldn’t schedule the surgery for several hours — until the surgeon came into the office at 8:00 am.
Every second counts during a medical emergency. Had BluePearl 24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital operated quickly, Bean would have had a fighting chance.
To anyone outside of the veterinary field, claiming to be a “24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital” indicates that they can provide the same emergency treatment as a human emergency hospital, which includes emergency surgery, such as repairing a torn trachea before the condition deteriorates. Bean did not have a torn trachea due to genetics, it was a torn trachea due to acute trauma via high-pressure dog bite to the neck.
The issues include, but are not limited to:
BluePearl did not have a 24/7 surgeon prepared to operate on Bean on admission, risking the chance of further deterioration while he waited 14+ hours for surgery.
BluePearl may have delayed treatment due to incomplete payment. Although they had a credit card on file, their estimate grew from $8k to $12k. Even with a $2900 immediate payment, by the time they could operate, his odds of survival were much lower at 12am than when he first arrived at their facility.
The records are missing O2 readings for two hours. At a human emergency hospital, O2 readings would have been tracked constantly. Dogs are not treated with the same quality of care as humans, though they have the same emotional value as a family member. BluePearl claimed that he “suddenly declined” in the night. But they had observed air pocketing throughout his body on admission. Why would they assume that the air would not continue to leak without immediate tracheal surgery? They had even warned us that the next stage of deterioration was lung collapse, also known as pneumothorax. So why did they not intervene immediately?
Why we need to amplify Bean’s story
In an attempt to speak with BluePearl about the delay in Bean’s treatment, they responded with…
“The treatment and recommendations appear appropriate as the pet was stable on presentation without further concerns other than underlying medical issues. The medical findings dispute your concerns that the pet was in critical condition. Your client was advised that the pet was stable, and a consultation would take place with the surgeon in the morning. As the pet’s condition worsened, your client was provided options for further treatment that were declined and opted for euthanasia.”
Bean’s chances of surgical success dwindled by the minute, and no attempt was made to close his trachea, but they continue to place the blame on his family, furthering the emotional trauma of the situation.
BluePearl plans to do nothing to prevent this from happening again. They refuse to acknowledge that their treatment plan was flawed. They refuse to acknowledge that Bean continued to suffer as he waited for them to use their “remarkable care” to help him.
What is false advertising?
(1) defendant made false or misleading statements as to his own products (or another’s); (2) actual deception, or at least a tendency to deceive a substantial portion of the intended audience; (3) deception is material in that it is likely to influence purchasing decisions; (4) the advertised goods travel in interstate commerce; and (5) a likelihood of injury to plaintiff. (Source)
Companion animals are more than property; they are family.
Join us in our fight to improve the veterinary system. We aim to put pressure on corporate BluePearl and Mars Inc. to change their systems; to end their advertising as a 24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital until their vets are available to implement emergency surgery at all hours of the day, to save the lives of companion animals, and to protect families from the avoidable emotional trauma that comes with losing a pet to inaction.
How can I help?
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BluePearl needs to stop advertising as a 24/7 Pet Emergency Hospital until they are committed to being 100% operational during all hours; meaning they would have the ability to implement emergency surgery at any moment. Sign the petition to end false advertising.
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Report BluePearl to the Federal Trade Commission. Be sure to mention concerns of false advertising 24/7 Pet Emergency Care when they cannot uphold that promise. No patient should have time to deteriorate as they await surgery.
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We are @beaniefanclub on Instagram and Justice for Bean on Facebook. Follow us, comment, and share your own stories. We want justice for Bean and peace of mind that all pets will be given a fighting chance during a veterinary emergency.