A Miami-Dade couple says their Cane Corso, Apex, went in for what was supposed to be a routine orthopedic surgery and came home with stitches on the wrong shoulder, a mistake they allege set back his treatment, cost them thousands of dollars and left the dog with ongoing mobility problems. The owners have responded with a veterinary malpractice lawsuit in Miami-Dade County and complaints to state regulators, turning a quiet visit to the vet into a case that is now shining a spotlight on a mobile surgical practice that travels to dozens of clinics around South Florida.
How the error was discovered
Apex, just under two years old, first started limping as a puppy. A radiology report later showed a lesion on his right shoulder that was consistent with osteochondrosis, and veterinarians recommended surgery on that side. In April 2025, the couple took him to Good Care Animal Clinic in southwest Miami-Dade for what they say was a right-shoulder operation and were told he would be ready to go home that same day.
When they picked him up, they say, the surprise started as soon as they looked at the bandages. The left shoulder had been shaved and stitched instead of the right. “It was shocking. We were in disbelief,” the owner’s partner said, according to NBC 6 South Florida.
What the lawsuit says
The malpractice complaint, filed in Miami-Dade last November, names veterinarian Dr. Mario Cabrera and two businesses tied to his mobile surgical operation. The suit alleges that the wrong side was opened during Apex’s procedure and says defendants “admitted” the error in court filings.
Attorney Willard Shepard, who represents Apex’s owner, told reporters that the left shoulder was normal and said the explanation for operating there fell far short. “There was never any reason to cut open the left shoulder at all,” he said…