Justice for Sydney: Help Todd Fight Vet Negligence

My name is Todd Jarrell and I live in Pikeville Tennessee with my fur children. This is a tough story for me to write because my sweet Sydney was very very special to me. She was a healthy happy loving 5 year old Brown & White Boston Terrier. I got her when she was 8 weeks and raised he with her fur siblings in a very loving home where she was taken care of, protected and loved.

The weekend of March 2, 2025 she started acting different. She was always a good eater and was always the first one done with her meals. Well that weekend she didnt eat with the normal voracity and she was not the first one done with her meals. On Sunday March 2nd, she stopped eating. She wasn't pooping normally either. She had a very small solid bowel movement early that afternoon. Later that afternoon she had a larger bowel movement but it was all Diarrhea. I monitored her that evening, tried tempting her with her favorite treats etc. The next morning, Monday March 3rd, I took her to the Animal Hospital of Rhea County as soon as they opened (9am EST, 8am CST). This was the Vet Office I had taken her to since moving to Tennessee in June 2021. I was referred to them by Sydney's Breeder who lived here in Tennessee. During the time between June 2021 and March 2025, the original vet bought a clinic elsewhere, the new vet was very good so I stayed with that clinic. Sometime between 2022 and 2025, that vet also bought his own clinic ( I was not aware of this). So when I took Sydney in on March 3rd it was a new doctor I had never seen before. A Doctor Marshall Taylor. He examined her and did an x-ray. I was suspicious she had chewed a piece off of a rubber Kong Toy, and in the x-ray he could not be sure if there was anything in her intestines. He had no clue what a Kong Toy was, I had to explain it to him. He said that since it was rubber it may not show in an xray. He wanted to do a Barium Study to verify if there was a blockage. I approved the procedure, it would be performed the rest of that day and the morning of Tuesday March 4th. I left Sydney in their care over night. The next morning, March 4th, I called for an update. He said they found a blockage in her intestine and he needed to perform surgery to remove it. It was to be a routine surgery. I approved the surgery and the did the procedure. I called that afternoon for an update and was told that she had gone through the surgery fine and was awake. They would keep her until she had a solid bowel movement so they could verify everything was moving through her system ok. I called the next morning Wednesday March 5th. They said she was doing well and had gone outside to pee but had not pooped yet. She was on a liquid diet and may be able to come home the next morning. They told me the office was closing at noon that day and to call for an update the next morning. I called the next morning, Thursday March 6th, the girl first told me that Sydney was ready to come home but put me on hold while she made sure. She came back on the phone and said that she still had not pooped and the doctor was concerned that there might still be something in her system. I questioned and said "Didn't he check through her system while he as inside her to make sure nothing else was in there?" The young lady informed me that he did check before closing her up. I said "If he checked and knew nothing else was in there, why is he now concerned that there was something else in her". She replied "oh its just in the back of his mind." So they were going to do another Barium Study to verify. She also stated she was not eating and they were putting soft food into a syringe and squirting small amounts at a time into her mouth to get her to eat.

I went that afternoon to visit with Sydney thinking maybe if she saw me she would perk up and eat. She was not even excited to see me. Now I know she was in pain and on medication but Sydney and I had a very special bond, she loved me dearly, and her not reacting to seeing me concerned me. I gave her lots of kisses, hugs and love. The Dr. came in and again said he was concerned that there was something inside her or that she was leaking from her intestines. We talked about the Kong Toy again and I showed him a picture of one because he did not understand what I was talking about (didn’t know anything about Kong toys apparently). They did another x-ray but didn’t see anything. I asked if they were going to do another Barium Study, the vet tech informed me that if no improvement by tomorrow morning they would do one. She explained they were feeding her soft food from a syringe and she got one put some food in it and showed me. I continued to visit a little longer. Before leaving it was discussed that I would call again that evening and get another status update. That evening at 4:00 pm I called for status update and spoke to Dr Taylor he was again concerned that there was still something inside her or that she was leaking. He stated he was not going to wait until morning, he was going to take her into surgery right away. He assured me that he would call me once she was out of surgery. At 4:50pm Dr Taylor called. Said that she had been leaking from her intestines and she was critical. That they washed everything they could out of her and closed the leak. I asked where was she leaking from, he said there was a hole, that infection had eaten a hole through her intestines and leaking out into her body. That it was an abcess. ( I believe he had not closed her incision properly and she was leaking from there. If she had an abcess why did he not see it when he did the first surgery. In addition, he as concerned that there was something else in her or that she had a leak, that tells me that he did not completely check her for another foreign body before completing the first surgery. If he had, then he would not have had a concern about there still being something inside her.) He said she is critical because of the infection leaking into her body. She was going to be very closely watched tonight. I asked if she was on Antibiotics, he said that she was, along with fluids. I am to call in the morning for an update. The next morning, Friday March 7 I called to check on Sydney. Spoke with a young lady who said that Dr Taylor had to do surgery again last night and asked if I knew about that. I told her I did that he had called me right after surgery. She stated that “her stitches had come apart and was causing a leak inside of her” (which is contrary to what Dr. Taylor said and more in line with what I thought had happened) ( Note: the medical records given to me to take to the Emergency Specialist clearly state "Found a small leak on last incision on intestine causing infection.") She said Sydney was looking better this morning, that she was drinking but still did not want to eat, they are syringe feeding her and she is keeping it down. She said he stomach looks much better this morning, its not as swollen. She said they are waiting for her to poop. She said Sydney is on Antibiotics and Pain Medication. I asked when I should call back for an update and she said I could call any time. I will call again this afternoon.

I called at 1:15pm for update. Spoke to Dr. Taylor. He said he is letting her rest up and will be going back inside her tomorrow. That she is drinking water but not eating. He said she has holes that are leaking. I asked why he didn’t fix the holes the first time he was in there. He said he is doing the best he can. He said that the piece of toy that was taken out of her was the size of a quarter and her intestines are only as big as a nickel and that it made tears in her intestines. I asked why he cant take care of them all at one time instead of having to keep opening her up. He just ignored that. I told him Sydney is like my child. He said that he knows that, he stayed up will her all night last night and he is trying to let her rest up before he goes in again. That he is coming in tomorrow even though it is Saturday and will be going in again. At 1:40 pm I called Vets office and asked if there was another Doctor that could see Sydney. They said Dr. Taylor was the only doctor.

That afternoon I found Dr. Myers (the origninal vet at the clinic) new location and called her office. She wasn’t able to come to the phone, I explained what was going on and the message was relayed to her. She responded that she could not help because Sydney needed a facility with an ICU, she recommended I take her to Chattanooga. At 2:34pm Called Vets office and told them to have Sydney and all her records ready that I was on my way to get her and take her to Chattanooga. At 3:30pm Picked Sydney up from Vets office and headed for Veterinary Care & Specialty Group in Chattanooga. She was barely concious and barely able to move, they told me she was groogy from the pain medication. At 3:39pm I called VCSG and let them know I was on my way with Sydney. They did check in and got all information over phone so they would be ready to see her immediately upon my arrival. Approx 5:00pm arrived at VCSG, they took her in, elevated her to Critical and put her on an IV, they performed ultra sound, did bloodwork, administered glucose and electrolytes. Dr. Kelley met with me and informed me that Sydney’s prognosis was down graded to Guarded and that if I wanted to spend $12,000.00 to $20,000.00 to try to save her she still only had a 20%n chance of survival. The decision was made to euthanize her so she would not suffer any further.

Since losing Sydney under Dr. Marshalls care, I have done research and found that there are numerous other pet parents who have lost their fur babies while under his care. There was even a story ran on the local news 2 days before Sydney died, about the number of animal deaths under Dr. Marshalls care. I did not see this story until after Sydney passed, had I seen it I would have transferred her to the emergency vet sooner.

I have filed a complaint with the TN Department of Health, Office of Investigations. But have not gotten anything but a notice that they have received my complaint. I have spoken to numerous attorneys about my case. I cant bring Sydney back but I want to stop this vet from practicing and close down his practice. The legal fees are going to be expensive and I dont have that kind of money. I need to be Sydneys voice and do something about this. That is why I am asking for help. Im trying to raise money to retain a lawyer and get this case placed before a judge. Any help you can give will be immensely appreciated. I am trying my best here. People do not understand the bond between us and our fur kids. Mine are my children and the senseless loss of one of my children needs me to work my best to prevent any more people losing their kids to this man.