'Vampire vet' kept FIVE dogs alive meant to be euthanized - and his own pet border collie was found twitching in pain with one leg missing and another dislocated

Dr Millard Tierce admitted to keeping alive five dogs brought to the clinic to be put down because he believed it was his decision



Tierce's border collie was with a foot missing and dislocated shoulders in an exam room, where she had remained since June 2013



Another veterinarian had to put down the collie because she had mouth disease, cataracts and untreatable neurological disease



Tierce, 71, turned himself in Wednesday at Tarrant County Jail and was later released on bail



Marian and Jamie Harris took their Leonberger to be put down at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic in October 2013 after Tierce said he had spinal defect



Sid was found alive this week in a back room where he had spent six months being used as blood donor



Lab technician told police some animals were caged for nearly 24 hours a day and experimented on



Reckoning: Dr Millard Lucien 'Lou' Tierce, 71, turned himself in at the Tarrant County Jail and was charged with animal cruelty

A Texas veterinarian arrested for animal cruelty has admitted to keeping alive five dogs meant to be put down, among them his own pet, which was discovered lying motionless with one of her legs missing.



Dr Millard Lucien 'Lou' Tierce, 71, turned himself in at the Tarrant County Jail at around Wednesday and was later released on $10,000 bail.



His veterinary license has been suspended by the state pending an investigation.

According to the suspension order, officials inspecting Tierce's popular Camp Bowie Animal Clinic found 'unsanitary conditions, animal organs kept in jars, bugs in exam rooms, open and unsecured medications' strewn about the office along with laundry and pieces of paper.



They also discovered that five pets the veterinarian had accepted for euthanasia were still alive, one of them kept in a cage for two or three years.

Three dogs rescued from the veterinary office by police were described as being in 'such a decrepit shape' that they had to be euthanized to put an end to their suffering.



Tierce told investigators that two of the pooches had been brought to the clinic by their owners to be put to sleep, but according to state records, the 71-year-old doctor believed that the decision was his to make.



A third dog, a black and white border collie that belonged to Tierce himself, was discovered twitching in pain inside a box left in an exam room.

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Confession: Tierce, pictured on the day of his arrest, admitted to keeping alive five dogs that had been brought to the clinic by their owners to be put down

Cruel: Tierce, 71, told investigators he gave his terminally ill border collie food and water, but withheld medical care

One of the animal’s legs was missing, another was dislocated, and the collie also had two dislocated shoulders.



Veterinary technician Cynthia Welch told police that Tierce's pet dog had been lying in the same position on the floor since at least June 2, 2013, when she came to work at the clinic.



When questioned by police, Dr Tierce said that he gave the collie food and water, but withheld medical treatment.



‘He said he had not euthanized the dog even though in his professional opinion he knew it needed to be,’ the documents state.



The border collie was later put to sleep by another veterinarian, who examined her and concluded that the animal was emaciated, had severe mouth disease, cataracts, and degenerative neurological disorder, among other ailments.



A lab technician also told investigators that several animals were kept in cages for nearly 24 hours a day so experiments could be performed on them.



Tierce had received his veterinary license in 1966, and until this week, he had a spotless record. The Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners is expected to convene in Austin for an emergency meeting to discuss Tierce's fate in the medical profession.



His license suspension order stated that Tierce repeatedly violated the Veterinary Licensing Act and is a ‘continuing threat and real danger’ to the health of his patients and to the public.



In a written statement to investigators, Tierce acknowledged that his clinic was unsanitary and that he had kept five animals that should have been euthanized, according to the board's report. But the report doesn't specify if he explained why he kept the animals.

The shocking allegations against the beloved local veterinarian came to light after Marian and James Harris, of Aledo, discovered that their 5-year-old Leonberger named Sid has been living in a cage at the clinic for the past six months and tapped for blood transfusions.



Lucky dog: Sid the five-year-old Leonberger was rescued by his owners from an animal clinic in Texas where he spent six months locked up in a cage and used for blood transfusions

Reunited: Marian Harris rescued Sid from the animal clinic after being tipped off that her dog was not put down six months ago

Mrs Harris said that last October, she gave Tierce permission to euthanize Sid after the doctor told her that the pup was suffering from a congenital spinal disorder.

But last Monday, the woman got a call from a former employee at the animal clinic telling her that her dog has been kept alive in a cage for the past six months.



In a scene straight out of the 1992 family classic Beethoven, Marian Harris and her husband, Jamie, marched down to the animal clinic and discovered Sid imprisoned in a pen in a back room.

‘The betrayal is so incredibly intense that nothing you have prepares you for the emotions. There’s anger, there’s joy that you have your dog back, there’s betrayal of this intense trust. And so it’s just really hard to camp on one particular emotion,’ Harris told CBS DFW.

Good Samaritan: Former clinic worker Mary Brewer called the Harris family to tell them that their dog was alive and used for experiments

The mother of two from Aledo said her pet, which was supposedly terminally ill, was able to walk and jump into her minivan on his own when she came to rescue him.

The family drove the pooch to another clinic, where a veterinarian determined that Sid did not need to be put down at all.



‘It was like getting punched in the stomach and then some,’ Marian Harris told the station NBC DFW. ‘This has rocked our world. My kids are like, “How does somebody do this?” How does this happen?"’

On Tuesday, police officers descended on Camp Bowie clinic in the 5700 block of Lovell Avenue and seized two more dogs as evidence.



Late Wednesday afternoon, Dr Tierce spoke out in his own defense, calling the Harris family's claims as 'a bunch of hooey.'



Speaking to the Star Telegram, the veteran medic said that it was Mrs Harris who wanted her dog euthanized, but he could not bring himself to do it.



Tierce also said Mary Brewer, who contacted the Harris family about their dog, was just a disgruntled former employee who wanted to get back at him.



The former Camp Bowie staffer, however, insisted that she quit her job because she could not continue working in a place where animals are mistreated.



Since the story broke Wednesday, clients have been visiting Dr Tierce's clinic to find out what really happened to their pets.



More victims? Yoga instructor Rebecca Pearce (left) has spoken out expressing concerns for the fate of her late dog, Maxina (right), who allegedly died while in the care of Dr Tierce



One of the people concerned for the fate of their pets was Rebecca Pierce, a yoga instructor from Fort Worth.



Mrs Pierce filed a complaint yesterday stating that last May, she was told by Dr Tierce that her dog named Maxina has died.



The veterinarian handed her a box allegedly containing the animal’s ashes, but he never billed her for any services, MyFox DFW reported.



Pearce's compliant also says that staff at Camp Bowie clinic told her that there were no records of Maxina's cremation.



For Sid and the Harris family, it all started last May when the family brought their 170-pound pet to the Fort Worth clinic to be treated for a minor anal gland issue, The Star Telegram reported.



Dr Tierce told the Harrises he wanted to treat Sid with a new ‘cold laser’ and warned them that it could take the dog longer to recover, according to the family’s complaint filed April 22 with the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.



By October, Sid’s condition has deteriorated to the point where he could not lift his hind legs and had to drag his body on the ground.



Pet care: Police raided Camp Bowie Animal Clinic in Fort Worth amid allegations of animal abuse

Together again: The Harris family, (L-R) Jamie, Cole, Case, Marian pose with their dog Sid at their home Saturday, April 26, following their unexpected reunion

Around that time, Dr Tierce allegedly informed the owners that their dog had a congenital spinal defect, and the best course of action would be to put him down because there was no cure for his condition.



The veterinarian even kindly offered to bury the 5-year-old Leonberger on his farm.



The family gave Tierce the green light to euthanize Sid, and even brought their son, Cole, to the clinic to say his final farewell to the four-legged friend.



‘So I brought him [Cole] in and had our tearful goodbyes, and we went over very specifically our plans for burial of Sid, and that was the end of it,’ Marian Harris recalled.



Then on April 21, out of the blue Mrs Harris got a call from Mary Brewer, a former employee at Camp Bowie, who told the woman that Dr Tierce never euthanized Sid, and instead he has kept him around as a plasma donor for other pets.



In this April 29, 2014, Marian Harris, third left, stands by as police raid the Camp Bowie Animal Clinic in Fort Worth

Sad outcome: The three dogs that were removed from the clinic Tuesday, including Tierce's black and white border collie, had to be put down

‘I remember coming in and them extracting blood from Sid, and basically shaving him, extracting his blood for the other animal upstairs,’ Brewer said to MyFox DFW, adding that the dog was kept locked up almost the whole time, denied treatment and he had been injured by another worker.



According to the Harrises’ complaint, ’The clinic was using Sid (and other dogs) for blood transfusions and other experimental treatments.’

The Harris family's lawyer, James Eggleston, wrote that Dr Tierce also harvested organs of some pets in his care and has kept one dog alive nearly five years for the purpose of using his blood and plasma.



According to the lawyer, at least a dozen former clinic workers and clients have come forward with information on Dr Tierce's misconduct dating back to 1997, the Weatherford Democrat reported.



The road ahead: Sid returned from his forced six-month stay at the clinic with mange and will undergo rehabilitation



Tell-tail sign: Besides Sid, police also removed another dog from the veterinary center as evidence

Ms Brewer explained that she did not go to police right away because she has a criminal record, which could have undermined her credibility.



When Marian Harris stormed into the clinic and found Sid living in a cage, covered in his own urine and feces, she confronted Dr Tierce about the deceit.



Liar: James Harris said Dr Lou Tierce (pictured) lied to him when he said that his dog had a congenital spinal defect

‘He said, “I didn't put him down because my staff said they would quit if I did,”’ said Mrs Harris.



The veterinarian who evaluated Sid after his dramatic rescue found that the 5-year-old dog had mange and showed ‘definite signs of having been used for blood transfusions.’



In a brief phone interview with MailOnline Wednesday afternoon, Jamie Harris said that Sid is currently resting at home and is in 'reasonable health.'



According to Sid's owner, the pooch still has rehabilitation ahead of him, but an MRI has confirmed that he never had a congenital spinal defect.



Mary Brewer revealed that there was also a cat that Dr Tierce was supposed to put down because he had abscess in his mouth and could not eat.



‘Dr Tierce changed his name to Graling, had us put him in the dog ward and left him there, and this time that I came back in in 2013, he's still there,’ said the former clinic staffer.





