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Grieving Long Island pet owner seeks answers after dog dies following 3-day hospital stay

Lavey says she is still calling and requesting full documentation of Tyson’s stay in an effort to piece together what led to his death.

Logan Crawford

Jun 5, 2026, 5:42 PM

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A Mellvile woman says when her beloved dog - who was living with congestive heart failure - started having trouble breathing, she rushed him to Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview.

Rachel Lavey says her 11-year-old dog, Tyson, was gone three days later.

“To this day, it’s now Day 12, I have no records," Lavey said. "I still don’t know what happened. I didn’t speak to the critical care specialist."

Lavey said she is still calling and requesting full documentation of Tyson’s stay in an effort to piece together what led to his death.

“An already grieving pet parent has to fight just to get a simple phone call,” she said.

During Tyson’s three-day hospitalization, Lavey said it was difficult to get clear updates about his condition and care. At times, she said, she received conflicting information from veterinarians.

“I asked her why was he on fluids? And she said, ‘No, he’s not. He’s not supposed to be. Dogs with this condition shouldn’t be on fluids,’” Lavey said.

Lavey shared her experience on social media, where her post drew nearly 600 comments. Many others said they had similar experiences at the same animal hospital.

Comments included:

  • “Just went through this with the same place.”

  • “My own experience was similar/absolutely avoidable.”

Lavey says she has filed a complaint with the New York State Office of the Professions.

“I want people to know that there should be a better standard of care for their patients, these pets and their owners,” she said.

News 12 reached out to Long Island Veterinary Specialists for comment and is waiting to hear back.

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