Vet received six-week suspension, public reprimand and court costs after operation on cat purchased at Orillia pet store
A Barrie-area veterinarian has had her licence suspended for six weeks after the College of Veterinarians of Ontario’s discipline committee determined she engaged in professional misconduct.
Dr. Kimberley Kosari, a veterinarian licensed to practise in Ontario, had her licence suspended at a Sept. 28 hearing for failing to comply with the minimum standards for veterinary facilities; failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession; failing to retain the records required by the regulation; and an act or omission relevant to the practice of veterinary medicine that, having regard to the circumstances, would be regarded by members as “disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
A reporter reached out to Kosari for comment, but did not receive a response.
As part of the college’s decision, Kosari admitted the factual allegations and admitted that her conduct constituted professional misconduct around her treatment of the black cat purchased from a pet store in Orillia in October of 2018.
According to the decision, Kosari was hired to spay a cat and give it vaccinations in January 2019. She picked up the cat at the owner’s residence and took it away to perform the procedure.
According to the decision, Kosari failed to tell the cat’s owner where the surgery was going to take place. It also noted Kosari didn’t tell the cat’s owner that she failed to remove the cat’s right ovary and uterine horn during the procedure, the decision states.
A few months later, the cat exhibited “abnormal symptoms” and its owner contacted Kosari with concerns. Kosari suggested the cat could be in heat because of an ovarian remnant and suggested exploratory surgery.
The cat’s owner sought a second opinion. The second vet performed an exploratory laparotomy and told the owner the cat’s right ovary and ovarian horn were still present before removing them, the decision states.
According to the decision, Kosari had no record or recollection of where she performed the surgery. None of the accredited facilities with which she had an agreement has a record of it.
Additionally, Kosari failed to retain any records related to the surgery, telling the discipline committee she stored her veterinary records in a box in her basement and that a 2022 flood destroyed them.
The decision noted Kosari apologized to the cat’s owner for failing to remove the right ovary and right ovarian horn and she reimbursed the owner $1,041 for the original spay, the exploratory surgery, the ultrasound and the second spay.
In addition to her licence suspension, Kosari received a public reprimand; must complete specified education, mentorship and assessment requirements; participate in up to three peer record reviews; and pay the College of Veterinarians’ costs of $5,000 within 90 days.