KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The trial against a Santa Clarita veterinarian accused of multiple complaints of negligence and unprofessional conduct started Monday, officials said.
Dr. Balpal Sandhu operates three clinics in and around Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valleys, including All Creatures Veterinary Center in Newhall, Canyon Country Veterinary Animal Hospital in Canyon Country and AV Animal Veterinary Center in Lancaster.
During the trial, over a dozen animal owners whose pets were treated by Sandhu are expected to testify, along with several professional witnesses.
The case filed on Nov. 4, 2019, includes 41 causes for discipline and five causes to revoke his license filed against Sandhu and his three clinics.
These causes include failure to obey all laws related to veterinary medicine, failure to comply with quarterly reports requirement, failure to file monthly supervisor reports, failure to submit proof of community service by the required date and failure to complete continuing education courses.
See Related: Two Santa Clarita Veterinary Clinics Accused Of Negligence, At Risk Of License Revocation
The complaints that led to the trial come from a time while Sandhu was on professional probation, affecting 15 different pets, eight of which had died while in the care of Sandhu’s facilities or soon after treatment.
Officials plan to start presenting witness testimony and evidence relating to the animals that died under the care of the three veterinary clinics named in the suit on Wednesday, according to Edward Feinstein, owner of a 3-year-old chihuahua mix named Fiona, who underwent treatment at the AV Veterinary Clinic in September 2018 after she had been attacked by a large dog.
Fiona was reportedly directly under the care of Sandhu for at least four hours, a time for which two causes for discipline have been filed with the attorney general for decisions made during Fiona’s case, including negligence and failure to maintain proper records.
Fiona was transferred to the Acute Critical Care and Emergency Surgical Service (ACCESS) in Los Angeles before succumbing to her injuries.
“It’s very unfortunate Dr. Sandhu has soiled the trust clients have in veterinarians. If I had not taken Fiona to ACCESS, I never would have known the extent of negligence and incompetence he and his ‘emergency’ hospital bestowed upon her,” said Feinstein in a previous story.
Sandhu was placed on license probation on May 29, 2016, as a result of the Veterinary Medical Board finding one cause of negligence, one cause of record-keeping violations and one cause for anesthesia violations.
The new cases brought to the attention of the attorney general in 2019 took place between January of 2016 and November of 2018, with 11 cases taking place while Sandhu was on probation for previous misconduct.
The trial is expected to conclude on Oct. 2, 2020.
Sponsored Articles
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I can’t stand hearing sad stories about animals being mistreated! Thankfully, this idiot won’t be hurting or killing any more pets here in SCV! The good news is that when one bad one goes down, another one gets more business! And here, Dr. Shokar, (remember that name) over at Pinnacle on Soledad near Bouquet across from the Burrito factory and Chi-Chi’s is the absolute BEST at what he does! I’ve dealt with these awesome, caring people first hand several times, and I can’t recommend them any higher! I wouldn’t take an animal anywhere else! ?
Sounds like you work there. Why should we believe you? Have you taken animals there before? Why is HE the best in SCV? Why should I and the rest of SCV take our pets there??
I guarantee you I don’t work there and never have! LOL! Just an animal lover who has unfortunately had to use a vet for my dogs and birds. They made everything easy for me and my animals were never traumatized after coming home from there which is important to me, as well as a groomer. The people there are so nice and accommodating and their prices are totally reasonable! Also VERY knowledgable. Considering over the years I have used different vets here in SCV, I can honestly say Dr. Shokar and Pinnacle are the best ever, hands down!
I wouldn’t say Dr. Shokar is the best. He’s a brand new Vet out of school so he’s still learning, He is very nice and his prices are not to bad. He did give us medication that we did not need for our blind bull mastiff but he’s also not a pro in the dog eye dept either. We use to go to Dr. Cisneros at VIP but he really misdiagnosed our Bull mastiff and she ended up going blind so I wouldn’t go there any longer IMO
Thank you for the recommendation, it is always helpful to keep this information on file.
We love Dr Vanessa @ Copper Hill Animal Clinic. If anyone is looking for a trustworthy vet. We were new to the area and we had been to a couple of vets in the area. We found Dr. Vanessa and we couldn’t be happier with her care.