Cat died, Animal hospital stole his medication

Location: Peoria, illinois
Recently, my cat passed away after a sudden medical emergency. In an effort to save his life, we brought him to the animal hospital and provided the staff with his current medication so they could understand what he was taking and use that information to help him. Unfortunately, he did not survive.

Afterward, we asked for the medication back so we could have it tested, hoping to find out if it contributed to his death. At first, the staff told us they still had the medication. But when we returned to pick it up, we were informed that it had gone missing.

We requested to speak to a supervisor, but the staff did not pass along our concerns. After multiple weeks—and after my wife was treated rudely by staff on several occasions we were finally able to reach the hospital supervisor. He said he had never been informed about the missing medication but promised to investigate the matter.

After another week passed with no update, we called the hospital again to follow up. We were told, “The supervisor said you were planning legal action, and we shouldn’t talk to you,” and then the staff member hung up. At no point did we mention legal action our only goal has been to recover the medication and understand what happened to our cat.

Now, it seems that the staff may be trying to avoid responsibility, or the supervisor is choosing to protect them instead of helping us find closure. I’m not looking to start legal action, but at this point, it feels like that may be the only way to get answers.

I have very limited financial resources, so I want to ask: Do I have any legal recourse in this situation? Is there a way to pursue accountability or get help without significant cost?

The medication was gabapentin