Miami Heat player sues for lost income from dog's neutering

Published Oct. 11, 2018 8:21 a.m. ET

COOPER CITY, Fla. (AP) — Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem is suing the veterinary hospital he says "castrated" his dog without permission.

The Miami Herald reports the basketball player filed a lawsuit accusing Murber Inc.'s LeadER Animal Special Hospital of negligence Tuesday. Haslem says the hospital successfully performed surgery to remove a rope that his dog, Juice, had swallowed, but also neutered Juice without permission or medical necessity.

The lawsuit describes Juice as a show-quality Cane Corso, meaning his semen samples could have been worth between $3,500 and $10,000. Haslem says he was preparing to breed Juice and sell the puppies.

He also says Juice is now "too tame," meaning he lost $30,000 spent training Juice to serve as a family guard dog while Haslem's on the road.

The report didn't include comment from the hospital.