Vet Charged, Admits Keeping 5 Dogs in Texas Euthanization Case

Millard Tierce, the vet who is accused of keeping a dog alive in a cage for months after telling the owner it was euthanized, has turned himself in to authorities after being charged with animal cruelty.

Earlier this week, it was reported that a family was shocked to learn that the dog they took to Camp Bowie Animal Clinic last October was still alive and being kept in a cage. The ex-employee who tipped off the family also told them the dog was being used as a blood donor.

Now Fort Worth police have charged the vet for cruelty to animals after a total of five dogs were said to be kept alive after supposed euthanizations and used for blood transfusions.

The dogs were said to be living in poor conditions.

Millard Tierce, 71, turned himself into authorities, and was released on a $10,000 bond.

Admits to Keeping Dogs

Tierce’s license is currently suspended and the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will meet later this month to decide if his license should be revoked completely. According to the license suspension order, Tierce admitted to keeping five pets alive which had been taken in for euthanization. One pet was kept in a cage in the clinic for three years. Another animal was Tierce’s own border collie, which was found in a box, twitching in pain, with three limbs dislocated and another missing.

The vet said he gave the border collie no medical attention and should have euthanized it.

Despite Tierce’s admissions to authorities, he described the incident to the media earlier this week as “a bunch of hooey.” When asked about the dog rescued from his clinic earlier this week, Tierce said, “The lady wanted me to euthanize their dog, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it… The lady has her dog back. A year later, the dog is still alive and walking around.”

The vet claims that the ex-employee who tipped the family off “wanted to get me.”

Longtime clients of Tierce have defended the vet. Johnny Morrison of Fort Worth told the Star-Telegram, “I would wait for two hours to see Dr. Tierce…He’s as good as you’re going to get.”