A Centre County veterinarian is being sued by an Altoona woman, who claims that $243,000 worth of stored semen from a line of champion stud dogs was destroyed.

Court documents indicate that Linda Blackie entered into an agreement in 2000 with State College veterinary hospital operated by Robert Cohen, to collect and store semen from champion stud dogs at Whisperwind Kennel.  

According to the civil action complaint, the veterinary hospital collected 51 straws of semen from three poodles, which were placed in a special storage tank using liquid nitrogen.

Blackie claims that she was notified in 2009 that the staff at the veterinary hospital either forgot or ignored the storage tank and all of the semen inside was destroyed and that it was the last semen left from a very valuable bloodline of poodles.

Opening statements were heard inside the Centre County Courthouse annex, and the civil jury trial is expected to be completed Thursday afternoon.