vet reported woman for animal cruelty because she couldnt afford 10k surgery for dog

[Liberal_in_LA]

Vet 'tried to have woman arrested for animal cruelty because she couldn't afford $10K surgery for her dog after he was hit by a car'


Karen Kelly took her dog Mojo to emergency veterinary clinic after he was hit and dragged by a car
Clinic charged her $1,300 for care and said dog needed $10,000 surgery

Ms Kelly did not have $10,000 and took Mojo home

Lawsuit claims veterinarians told Ms Kelly they would report her for animal cruelty if took dog home
Ms Kelly was visited by animal control officers the next day, but investigation was later dropped

Mojo, now age 15, is still alive two years after the accident



Ms Kelly is suing the clinic for $1million, claiming civil extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. She is represented by Orange County attorney Barry Besser.

ABC News reports that Ms Kelly did not have the cash to pay for the surgery up front. She called friends and family members, who didn't have money to lend her for the procedure, either, the lawsuit says.

She also applied for a line of credit at the veterinary clinic, but was denied

When Ms Kelly asked if she could bring Mojo home so he could be take him to her regular vet the next day, she was told that she would have to sign a form saying it was against the vet's medical advice.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2386572/Woman-claims-veterinarian-tried-arrested-animal-cruelty-afford-10K-surgery-dog-hit-car.html
The veterinarians further warned that 'they were going to report her to the authorities for 'animal cruelty,' which is a crime,' according to the lawsuit.

[bunnies]

1. A million bucks?!

wow.

[hobbit709]

2. I'd go for 2.

totally uncalled for by that vet.

[bunnies]

3. I agree that it was uncalled for...

but it would never occur to me to sue them over a dropped cruelty investigation.

[Incitatus]

22. The authorities dropped it because it was BS.

The vet who called for the investigation is a POS and deserves what he gets.

[elehhhhna]

26. The vet needs to go out of business. ANY business.

IMO she should have reported the vet for animal cruelty AND extortion. He had the ability to help the dog and did not. Cuts both ways.

[kestrel91316]

38. Vets are not slaves. We have ZERO obligation to work for free.

We especially have no obligation to do $10k worth of surgery and care for free.

I fault the vet for not offering a Plan B (cheaper) alternative. There is virtually always a Plan B. When there isn't, I recommend immediate euthanasia to end suffering.

I have met the occasional callous, uncaring, or stupid client that I was sorely tempted to report for neglect. We have the right, and some would say the duty, to do that here in CA.

This lawsuit is going nowhere. It is really rare for a vet to take such an action. My guess is the client displayed extreme callousness or a serious lack of concern for the dog's suffering. THAT would provoke any vet to file a complaint of neglect.

[liberal_at_heart]

39. but the dog survived and recovered. Just because a client choses to do something different than what

the vet recommends does not necessarily mean they are being an unfit owner.

[kestrel91316]

43. We don't know enough to know that it WASN'T cruelty.

You would not believe how cruel, uncaring, and neglectful some pet owners can be. I've seen it firsthand.

[liberal_at_heart]

46. The charges were dropped.

[kestrel91316]

52. That does not mean the vet was wrong or unjustified. That just means

the authorities did not choose to prosecute, for any of a thousand reasons.

[daleanime]

51. Even you say the vet should have offered another option.....

and didn't, excuse the rest of us for not seeing a caring professional, but a business owner that seems to have been trying to force a unnecessary procedure on a client who lacked the funds to pay.

[duffyduff]

53. The dog is still alive two years later. Kind of refutes the "cruelty" bit.

The article doesn't state the owner was cruel, but the vet was claiming she was "cruel" because she couldn't pay for the surgery and took the dog home. Big difference.

When Ms Kelly asked if she could bring Mojo home so he could be take him to her regular vet the next day, she was told that she would have to sign a form saying it was against the vet's medical advice.
The veterinarians further warned that 'they were going to report her to the authorities for 'animal cruelty,' which is a crime,' according to the lawsuit.

[kestrel91316]

69. Letting that poor dog suffer with untreated SERIOUS injuries

most certainly IS cruel.

[rainy]

81. The cruel one then would

be the vet as the owner clearly couldn't pay and was offered no other choice.

[leftynyc]

92. You're describing what the vet did

Knew the dog was suffering and the owner couldn't afford treatment and didn't offer anything but cruelty. Hope she bankrupts him/her.

[Liberal_in_LA]

97. it seems the vet put her in a corner = pay 10K that she DIDN"T HAVE or what?

[riderinthestorm]

104. She paid $1300!! She was threatened when she tried to take him for a 2nd opinion!

Which is absolutely her right.

I can't believe you are defending this vet. FWIW, I love my vets who are an essential part of our team - ALL of them. $1300 went a hell of a long way towards stabilizing him so she could take him to her own vet for a second opinion the next day.

He wasn't suffering. Not one bit. I'm sure he was tranqed and medicated up the wazoo for $1300!!

EVERY owner has the right to take their animal for a second opinion without being threatened with animal cruelty charges if they don't fork over another $10k. I'm sorry you think this is somehow "hating on vets" but that position is absurd.

[liberalhistorian]

107. She did not let it go "untreated",

she told the emergency vet that she wanted to take it to her own vet the next day for treatment. The arrogant, greedy emergency vet could at least have given the dog some pain pills to get him through the night, but didn't like the fact that she wasn't going to pad his profits that night and that she'd questioned his recommendation and had the "audacity" to want a second opinion and from her own trusted vet.

The REAL cruelty here is the emergency vet who cared more about his bottom line and payback.

[KinMd]

86. How do we know she was reported because she couldnt afford the operation?

my wife works for a vet and it's common for people to either be unable or unwilling to pay for an expensive treatment, and they aren't considered abusers. And how do we know it's the vet office that reported her?

[LanternWaste]

100. Unless of course, the owner attempts to pray away the infirmary...

"does not necessarily mean they are being an unfit owner..."

Unless of course, the owner attempts to pray away the infirmary, at which point all bets are off, and the owner becomes Officially Unfit...

[liberalhistorian]

65. No, vets should certainly not work for free,

but I have had several whom I haven't trusted at all and believed were padding their bill or pushing far more expensive treatments to bolster their bottom lines.

This "vet" was at an "emergency" clinic. I have found that the worst were the emergency clinics, which usually operate during the hours that most vet offices are closed, from around 5 p.m. to 7 or 8 a.m. In my former state, there was one I had to use a few times for both cats and dogs that was relentless in its push for profits, pushing tons of tests that turned out not to have been needed and charging outrageous prices for the one time that surgery was needed and demanding cash or credit card upfront, no checks. There were no credit terms allowed, it all had to be paid upfront and they made you feel like a criminal if you didn't have tons of money available right then and there. To them, animals and their owners are nothing more than cash cows to be milked.

I'm sorry, but I really do not trust such places and such vets and and I really, highly doubt that a ten grand surgery was needed, especially since the dog is alive and well two years later without it. I think that vet was just mad that he didn't make the huge profit he wanted to make that night and wanted payback. IMHO, most such places are no better than a lot of oil change companies that try to "discover" all manner of things wrong that need fixing or changing whenever you go in for an oil change, and who charge ridiculously for them, just to pad their profits as much as they can.

I'm not, however, saying that most vets are like that or that they don't usually try to do their best for both the animals in their care and their owners. And I don't doubt at all that there are plenty of people who mistreat or neglect their animals and who should definitely be reported. My current wonderful, fantastic vet can tell some real horror stories; because we're in a rural area, he sees all variety of animals both large and small, including cattle and horses, and he sees all kinds of abuse and neglect of them all. And I have personally reported animal owners I've known or seen who have abused or neglected fur babies in their care.

[kylie5432]

72. Vet costs are out of control

Sorry but I worked as a Registered Vet Tech for 15 years before becoming a teacher and I saw a noble profession degenerate into a corporate greed mentality. RVT's still make the exact same money they always did some 13 years ago even as vet costs have tripled and owner vets are living the high life.

Meanwhile, as the middle class shrinks, they are starting to balk at paying 50 dollars for one injection or 35 dollars for a bottle of fatty acid supplements they can get for 10 dollars online

That is why more high quality, low cost vets are practicing today. One of the best is Primary Care Animal Hospital in Long Beach, CA. The care is higher quality than some "premium" vets who want to only treat pets of the top 20 % of the economic ladder.

I drive all the way from the Valley to Long Beach to see these vets. As wages stagnate and the middle class disappears you can no longer charge 10,000 dollars for surgery- if you want to stay in business. Low cost vets have improved their practice to meet the needs of the working class.
I doubt the client was callous, probably just freaking out at not being able to afford the exorbitant costs of vet care. Take it from a former vet tech who worked in all kinds of practices.

[Safetykitten]

77. Every time I take my dog to the vet it's 400 bucks. Every. Time.

[WCLinolVir]

89. Can you tell what is the motivation behind not seeing your pet if immunizations are not current?

[tabasco]

123. A doctor with no obligations to work for free

Lawyers are required to do pro bono work to keep their law licenses.

I suppose doctors have no other obligation other than to make money. What a sad comment on you and your profession. A sign of the times.

[marble falls]

136. Because while there are callous owners, there's never, ever been a callous vet?????

[liberalhistorian]

66. Think of the distress and the public humiliation

that must have caused, and the very real likelihood that it could have caused a lot of trouble with her employment and in similar situations. I'd likely do the same thing if I were her.

[lunasun]

126. Agree

[Javaman]

94. We invested in pet insurance this past year.

our dog has massive allergies.

it's already saved us over 2 grand.

There are good vets and bad vets and then there are the emergency vets.

In my opinion, I have always thought them to be extortion rackets.

[RebelOne]

110. Pet insurance was the best investment I ever made.

I got insurance on my Rottweiler when she was 2-1/2 years old after I adopted her from a friend. I was so happy I did have the insurance. She had a few health problems within her 13 years of life. And in her final year, she developed liver and bone cancer which were inoperable. I spent a fortune, and the insurance did not cover the full cost, but I was able to keep her comfortable in her last months.

Yes, I agree the emergency vet clinics are crooks. I had to take my Rottie to an emergency clinic late at night because she was bleeding and I knew she was not in heat. The vets there told me she needed an emergency hysterectomy and it would cost $1200. I asked them to stabilize her until I could get her to her regular vet in the morning. Luckily, she made it through the night and I got her to the regular vet first thing in the morning. The vet performed the operation for about $300.

I try to avoid emergency vet clinics if at all possible.

[bluedigger]

4. Not enough.

[bunnies]

5. Really?

Why?

[geek tragedy]

6. punitive measure, infiction of emotional distress nt

[bunnies]

11. Over a dropped cruelty investigation?

I guess Im just not litigious by nature.

[bluedigger]

8. You own a pet?

[bunnies]

9. Yes.

A cat and a dog.

[bluedigger]

13. Okay then.

I think threatening someone with legal action to get them to commit to treatment for their pet when they can't afford it and are in emotional distress is despicable behavior, and that they should never practice veterinary medicine again.

[bunnies]

14. Yeah. Ok.

I see your point now that youve spelled it out for me.

adding: my dog has cushings and requires $160.00 a month in meds. If my vet reported me for not being able to afford the pills I'd be pretty pissed.

[Regret A Vet]

132. **REGRET A VET** on FB

Have you ever trusted a veterinarian but now regret it? Was your pet injured or killed due to veterinary negligence? Please share your stories, pictures and videos. Stay away from bad vets... it will help save lives! My story is at REGRETAVET.BLOGSPOT.COM

www.facebook.com/regretavet
www.regretavet.blogspot.com

[banfieldkilledmissy]

135. Please Boycott ALL Banfields!

The Banfield Pet Hospital, located inside the Petsmart in Deptford, NJ negligently KILLED my dog, Missy on 11/25/14. Every day, pets all over the country are harmed or killed by Banfield Pet Hospitals. The doctors responsible for killing Missy are Dr Sara Garrison and Dr Amber Karwacki .

Banfield hires vets who are just out of school, still in school, vet techs with no training whatsoever, they perform all kinds of unnecessary tests and procedures to earn more money for their company because they receive BONUSES for being profitable! They dont give a damn about your pets!

Banfield is owned by the Mars Candy Company. Please go to Mars.com to see a list of all of their products and please BOYCOTT all Mars products! They are the makers of the most popular types of candy and pet food, as well as Uncle Ben's Rice. Please buy Hershey candy instead.

There are THOUSANDS of complaints against Banfield posted all over the internet. Just do a search for Banfield Complaints, Banfield Killed, Banfield Kills.

PLEASE DO NOT take your pets to ANY Banfield or it could cost your pet its life!

[Jenoch]

7. I'll probably get flamed for this,

but spending $10,000 on surgery for a 13 year old dog is not something I would do.

[joeglow3]

10. You beat me to it.

I wouldn't pay it if I had the money. I certainly wouldn't go into debt for it.

[Cronus Protagonist]

12. Yet I bet they could have purchased a put-down for a lot less

And THAT wouldn't have been cruelty. Yet look, the dog is alive and happy today!

[Jenoch]

15. We don't know anything

about the dog's injuries. He obviously survived and looks pretty good for 15.

I have a SIL who spent $1,200 on surgery for her then 2 year old cat. I told her I could get her 300-400 cats for that kind of money.

[delrem]

21. I'm sure she appreciated and remembered your comment.

Sheee! what were you THINKING????

[KentuckyWoman]

23. LOL - oh boy I bet your next family gathering was interesting......

[Jenoch]

24. I made a mistake in my typing...

she was actually the sister of my SIL. She laughed and said she wouldn't do it again. She said her kids more or less talked her into it and at the moment when the decision needed to be made, her emotions took over. This happened about ten years ago, and she doesn't seem to hold a grudge. I haven't seen the cat in a while though....

[KentuckyWoman]

25. Got me giggling twice in one evening!! THANKS

"haven't seen the cat in a while though...."

Forgive me Lord for I am truly ashamed)

[Liberal_in_LA]

98. a**hole comment to make

[Jenoch]

99. Lighten up, Francis.

[a la izquierda]

113. I just spent $2500 the other day on my 4 year old dog

And if a family member said to me what you supposedly said to your SIL...well, lets just say my family relations would shrink by 1.

[Jenoch]

117. $2,500 for a 4 year old dog

not similar to $10,000 on a 13 year old dog. I'd probably do the same, depending on the prognosis.

[a la izquierda]

118. No, not at all.

I must've misread your post above about your relatives 2 year old cat.
Sorry about that.

[Jenoch]

119. It was a joke. She took it as a joke

and she never has ibdicated to me otherwise. She's not really my relative, she is my brother's wife's sister.

[a la izquierda]

120. Ahh, makes sense...

It's hard to read jokes online.
Oh, brother's wife's sister...yeah, not a relative

[TalkingDog]

17. I agree completely. And I love my critters beyond reason.

The vet wanted to cut off one of my cats front legs including the scapula at the age of 13 because she had tumors under her shoulder blade that would eventually (time frame undefined) grow into her chest cavity.

So she would have to learn to walk and function all over again. I said no. Flat out.

She lived another year before she began to seem discomfited. She got to be put down at home. I wouldn't do it any differently.

[Jenoch]

20. One of the hardest

things I ever had to do was to put down the family cat. I was seven years old when we got him and 27 when I had to take him to the vet to end his suffering.

[kestrel91316]

40. Dogs and cats that have a bad leg that needs to be amputated

usually do great. There is no need to relearn how to walk, lol. They generally have quit using the bad leg anyway and so all you are doing is removing dead, useless weight that overburdens the 3 good legs, making them far more likely to break down.

[TalkingDog]

91. She hadn't lost the use of her leg. She never lost the use of it.

This was a "pre-emptive" removal. After about a year she started slowing down and "complaining" more. That's how I knew it was time. She was uncomfortable.

I didn't have to put her through a huge trauma just to keep her alive for my sake. And she got to be a cat for another year. Quality of life over quantity. We consider that optimum for old humans, why not for our companion pets?

[progressoid]

30. Hell, I couldn't afford

that amount for surgery on myself.

[BainsBane]

106. A lot of people wouldn't and couldn't

which is why that vet is an extortionist.

[Jenoch]

108. I don't know enough details

about the case to necessarily call the vet an extortionist. The fact that the dog recovered on his own might be a good indicator however.

My recently deceased uncle was a veternarian for 37 years. He mostly worked on farm livestock, primarily dairy cows. His biggest problem was getting farmers to pay for his work. He told me once that a farmer gave him two quarts of canned green beans and was offended when he got a bill in the mail. I'm sure he never had a $10,000 surgery.

[BainsBane]

109. If that vet had been so worried about the dog

Why not do the surgery for free?

[Jenoch]

114. I don't know what costs were involved.

I do know that veternarians are not in business to do surgeries for free. They might see cases such as this on a weekly basis. Pretty soon, they're doing surgery for free on a regular basis. It's not just the surgery, there are costs for the recovery as well. I wish we had more details. I'm writing about this kind of situation in a broad manner.

[RebelOne]

111. Yes you would if that dog was like a child to you. n/t

[Jenoch]

115. I've had and loved several pets.

They are not like children are to me.

[RebelOne]

121. All my dogs were my furbabies. They are part of the family. n/t

[Jenoch]

124. I didn't say they were not part of the family.

I said they were not like my children, although they do sometimes behave better than our children.

(That's another joke. I hope it does not confuse anyone reading this post.)

[Regret A Vet]

134. READ SCARY VET STORIES and "Like" REGRET A VET FACEBOOK!

Have you ever trusted a veterinarian but now regret it? Was your pet injured or killed due to veterinary negligence? Please share your stories, pictures and videos. Stay away from bad vets... it will help save lives! My story is at REGRETAVET.BLOGSPOT.COM

www.facebook.com/regretavet
www.regretavet.blogspot.com

[msanthrope]

16. I have a feeling that at the end of this, she's going to be able to afford a lot of kibble for that

doggie.

[Egalitarian Thug]

18. I hope she wins. I'm fucking sick of these corporate cash extraction operations that

masquerade as veterinary clinics. We lost the best dog in the world to a completely manageable cancer because Vegas no longer has even one actual veterinarian clinic left.

[Nevernose]

45. That really sucks

Try the Flamingo Pet Clinic on East Flamingo, between Eastern and Pecos. We've been fortunate to not need anything serious, but the vet there is genuinely enthusiastic about animals. There's another good vet we've used on Bonanza, just west of Nellis.

[kiva]

84. Best vet in Vegas, Dr. Julie

at East Charleston Animal Hospital. One vet so you never get the second team, no appointment necessary, and I've seen her cut her fees many times to help people. She's helped me through losing two old kittehs and no preaching, no guilt trips, just excellent care. I'd drive across town to her clinic, and I don't drive across town for anything else.

[freshwest]

19. Sounds like an extortion racket. If they cared, they should have done it on credit.

No doubt she paid them all she had, $1,300. She made every attempt to get it done, and taking the dog to another vet for a second opinion, no doubt, is within her rights just like a human being would do, not cruelty.

I think she has proved her case and hope she wins big on the lawsuit. I'm glad to see the dog looks healthy and happy.

What were the righteous clinic owners going to do, put the dog to sleep? Did they want her to give the dog to the pound to be put down?

That's the extortion, they were greedy, thought they could threaten her into going to a loan shark to pay them. If they really cared, they could have set up a payment plan.

No pity for them. I say sue the greedy, sick clinic out of business.

[Politicalboi]

27. I had a stray cat that adopted me

And I was going to take her to the vet because I noticed she had some discharge in the back. They looked for a scar to see if she was fixed, she was fixed. But they found a infection in her uterus. They first quoted me over $700.00. I told them I cared for the cat, but don't have the money. Then they lowered to 3 hundred and something. Again, I had to tell them no. I couldn't afford it. I finally had to fork over the money to put her down. That costs me over $100.00 including first visit.

[riverbendviewgal]

28. Vets sometimes do charge for extra procedures to inflate the bill

In 2001 shortly after my husband died my cat, who was my late younger son's cat, got sick. I took him to the vets and she said he had to have a few tests and the estimate bill was close to $2k. I was still in a state from my husband dying. The bill was quite a bit much, considering my husband and son's health care treatments were zero, with our one payer system.

Being so stressed, I got on my knees and cried and told "Mochey" that I had to "let him go" and join my son, his late master. The vet stared crying too and she said she could eliminate some tests and the bill ended up being about $400.

Mochey is still alive today and living in the UK with my older son. He flew there in 2011 with the blessings of a homeopathic vet who signed the paperwork , that another vet wouldn't due to Mochey's age and a heart flutter. The Vet who signed said, let him join his family and if he dies on the way, then so be it. He already had a long life. Mochey is now 18 years going on 19...He is a happy old cat with a big window to look out on and gets lots of brushing and petting from my son and his family.

[truedelphi]

33. So glad to hear about the happy ending.

And sorry that you had such a hard time of it there for a while.

Grief can be a bitch, and having professional people demand too much of us at those times sure does make it all so much worse.

[Fuddnik]

67. I have an asshole vet like that around the corner.

I went there for a couple of years after we moved to Florida. My dogs were always healthy, so it was mainly check-ups, heartworm and flea medication. My female, we had for 13 years, was getting arthritic, seemed to be in pain, and had a lot of trouble getting up. I took her in to the vet, mainly to reinforce my suspicion that it was time.

They took her in the back, cleaned her teeth (which didn't need cleaning) without asking me, said they "thought" she had a bladder infection, and recommended acupuncture treatments 3 times a week.

I told them to fuck off, and took her to another vet who was recommended, and she agreed that it was time. I've been driving an extra 40 minutes to see her now for 7 years. She treats my dogs like they were members of her family.

I read later, that the a guy who was distraught, when he came home from work found his dog had died, and he took the dog to the first vet, who charged him $300 for trying to resuscitate a dead dog.

[valerief]

29. What a fuckin' predatory vet! nt

[brewens]

31. Sounds to me like the dog didn't need all that work at that expense in the first place.

She may be right. After possible fraud and extortion, the vet wasn't done with her yet. He called the cops and tried to have her wrongly prosecuted. Add to that the vet not giving the dog more realistic and reasonable treatment that may have been beneficial. Instead the woman is forced to take him home and do the best she could. That could have meant a much slower more painful recovery.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

32. 10K is a rip off are they using gold sutures?

it doesn't cost that much.

[elleng]

34. How about they report themselves for charging so much???

[kestrel91316]

42. The nerve. And you know the extent of the dog's injuries and exactly what

surgery was needed and what the vet's overhear costs are - exactly HOW?

Veterinarians are the cream of the crop among medical professionals. It is FAR harder to get into vet school than medical school, yet people worship the ground physicians walk on and think vets are scumsucking charlatans.

A pox on all of you.

[elleng]

47. 'Thanks' for the pox, kestrel,

but to threaten to report a pet owner for animal cruelty because s/he cannot afford one's fees is a bit much, imo.

[kestrel91316]

56. That's the dog's owner's take on it. And I can assure you that people who

neglect their pets because of money can be really astonishing confabulators. She claims the vet said that. That does not mean the vet actually did.

I got sued in federal court once, and in the complaint the woman claimed I struck a child. Of course no such thing ever happened. People lie all the time in lawsuits.

[elleng]

62. I know that people lie in lawsuits.

Cost me $25,000 to recover from something similar.

[leftynyc]

93. Bullshit

I think all doctors suck. I can't believe you're defending what this vet did.

[Lancero]

35. The only reason that she has a case...

Is because her dog survived being run over by a car, without the surgery.

Had the dog died, then the vet's call of reporting for animal abuse, despite a asshole move, would have been legitimate, as the dog died as a result of her actions.

[Heywood J]

102. No, the dog would have died as a result of being hit by a car.

Or are you contending that being too poor to have $10,000 is "her actions", and the impact of a car had nothing to do with it?

[Lancero]

130. There have been cases...

Of parents being arrested, tried, and charged with child abuse for not providing medical care.

I don't have the specifics though if them not providing care was a result of outright refusal or inability to pay.

While it's not a perfect example, I think it's aplicable given the number of people who consider a pet to be a child/family member and that animal abusers should be treated the same as child abusers.

[liberal_at_heart]

36. bad businesses need to be put out of business.

[X_Digger]

37. Emergency clinics are predatory by their very nature.

They know they have you over a barrel- it's the middle of the night and your regular vet is closed.

Fucking scum.

[liberalhistorian]

73. That has been exactly my experience with them.

At my previous residence, the vet we had warned us about the emergency clinic in the area and said he hoped none of our cats and dogs would have an off-hours emergency that would necessitate its use. And our experience with that emergency clinic bore out his warnings. As every other emergency clinic I've had to use has also done so. Their demand for payment in cash or credit card upfront, with no credit terms, really puts a lot of people in difficult binds also. There's no emergency clinic in my rural area, but the vet here is fantastic and does his best off-hours without breaking your bank.

[kestrel91316]

41. Wow. I see the vet haters have all turned out in force for this one.

[liberal_at_heart]

44. The financing of animal medicine is just as corrupted as human medicine.

People can't afford to take their children to the doctor let alone their pets. It's all just too damn expensive. My daughter wants to be a vet by the way. When we had to put her cat down last year, we had to beg the vet to do it because we couldn't pass the credit check and didn't have the money upfront. They eventually agreed, but it was horrible.

[kestrel91316]

48. The "financing" of veterinary medicine is no more "corrupt" than

that of car repair shops, grocery stores, and restaurants.

Vets learned decades ago not to extend credit because they stood virtually no chance of collecting once they did their work. I sometimes work with really good clients on big bills, but I am under no obligation to do so. We don't know how good of a client this woman was - she could have just walked in off the street without having ever set foot in the place before.

The only thing I tend to fault about the vets and money situation is that too many vets present only a "cadillac" diagnostic/treatment plan to clients, and when they can't afford that (very common even in good economic times), they say they can't help them and send them on their way. I have never practiced this way. I always offer a Plan B except in those rare circumstances when it would be cruel and pointless to do so.

Countless DUers have asked for free vet advice from me over the years and I have gladly given it, but you can bet that I will make a note of the vet haters in this thread and if any of them ask for my advice in the future, it won't be forthcoming.

[Fuddnik]

70. Don't confuse blasting an alleged predator with vet hate.

I had a vet in Ohio, who was very expensive, and as far as I was concerned she could walk on water. The one I have in Florida now is just as good. In between those two, I had on I'd like to throw in the river behind his office. As for the latter vet, everyone at the dog park we go to every day has the same opinion.

[kiva]

85. Sorry you are getting the blast from this.

As I said upthread, I love my vet and trust her implicitly with my pets. That said, I know that it's heartbreaking not to be able to afford to get care for your pet in a way that is different from not being able to get a car fixed or another service, but in most cases it's not the vet's fault (though I have to admit the vet in this story may not be one of the good ones).

[duffyduff]

50. This has nothing to do with hating vets as a group.

I have never had problems with any vets I have dealt with.

This jerk is obviously not the norm, just a greedhead.

[kestrel91316]

58. Read the posts in this thread. There are plenty that say all vets are bad people.

Eff all of you.

[EOTE]

64. And I'm sure you could point out one of these posts?

Unless, of course, you're talking out of your ass in an ignorant attempt to slam a large group of people. And a jolly ol' eff to you as well. Such a charmer.

[liberalhistorian]

75. Yes, I can just imagine how she must

treat pet owners who don't agree with her or who question her recommendations. I can hear it now, "eff off, go to hell, beat it already." Sheesh, such a charming bedside manner.

She should take lessons from my current vet, an extremely competent, caring, very professional doc who somehow manages to make a decent living without charging everyone an arm and a leg for walking in the door, unlike my previous vet.

[EOTE]

96. One would think that DU has a history of vet hating or something.

I can understand why DU cops might get upset about all the anti-cop rhetoric around here (that I typically agree with) because I'm sure that DU cops are more honorable than cops in general. But there is no systematic abuse of vets here, that's kind of ridiculous. Apparently all vets are beyond criticism, even ones who do awful crap like in the OP.

[WCLinolVir]

80. You have an attitude. Eff to you too.

People are tired of being ripped off by vets who are happy to tell you you need a test but don't bother to tell you what the success rate of that test is. Often you can treat empirically. And will anyway, and save the animal a potentially unnecessary invasive procedure. I do not make a move without researching my options. I would never trust a vet to give me the full picture. I am sure they don't think I have the background to understand.
Just recently it was recommended to me that I have my cat taken to a specialist for an ultrasound after having had her blood work done. What no one would tell me is that it may not answer any questions given her lab values and her exam. Yet it would have been hundreds of dollars. Same with a needle biopsy. May not help at all in determining the course of treatment. Was someone going to tell me this?? No. Now I have a degree in nursing and understand a few things about the process and what to research. I also have the time to do so. So when a vet recommends a test, or any procedure I say let me think about it. I also research ahead of my visit so I know if my cat has a urinary tract infection, we may not find anything in his urinalysis. So what is the treatment for a UTI? People do not understand that they have options to all of those diagnostic tests that sometimes aren't necessary for something such as a UTI. And the vets are not telling people that there is a significant chance that the urinalysis will be inconclusive. I understand about the standard of care, but I think we need to be truthful about the efficacy of diagnostic tests and their rates of success and cost benefit.
People are not able to rely upon the vet for that level of honesty for the most part, yet are asked to shell out hundreds/thousands of dollars without feeling comfortable with the process. That is taking advantage of people.
Would a doctor tell you "I want to cut you open and hopefully find the source of your long term infection but I have statistically only a 50% chance of getting lucky", and it will cost hundreds of dollars and the anesthesia will risk messing up your endocrine system, not to mention site infection. Hey how about it?
We would not call that good medicine. And the kicker is he could have just given you an antibiotic, and see how you progress and switch it if it doesn't seem to be effective.

[liberal_at_heart]

82. no doubt. I'm glad I'm not her client.

[Stonepounder]

54. Good vets vs bad vets.

We have pets, ranging from two 17 year old cats, to a 10 month old puppy. We have a wonderful vet clinic that we have been going to for 15 years now. We totally trust them and the only time we ever considered going anywhere else was when we were 2500 miles from home and needed a vet. There is no way you can call me a vet hater.

I agree that the article is somewhat one sided, in that we are only hearing the pet owner's side of the story. However, for a vet to respond to you telling them 'I can't afford that, I need to get a second opinion' and them telling you if you didn't agree to a $10K surgery immediately they would report you for cruelty to animals, they should seek another profession. $10K is a whack for just about anyone who isn't part of the 1%. The proper response from the vet should have been a) offer to put the dog down or b) prescribe pain meds to hold him until he could be seen by another vet. Not threaten to call Animal Control.

[duffyduff]

55. Vet's insurance company will settle, and it will be a fraction of what is being asked. n/t

[kestrel91316]

60. They won't settle. They will fight it and win. Happens all the time with

bogus claims by psychos, and that may very well be what we have here.

[kestrel91316]

59. We have no idea what the vet actually said. We only know what the woman

CLAIMS the vet said. As I said in another post, I got sued in federal court years ago and the woman claimed, among other things, that I struck a child. Nothing of the sort happened, she was just a LIAR.

[demwing]

101. Kestrel you should take a breather

You are way too close to this. None of the posts were personally directed at you, and you are lashing out in anger.

Peace

[liberalhistorian]

78. THIS. Any medical professional,

for people or animals, should never get upset at or discourage the desire to get a second opinion, in fact, they should encourage it. Any medical professional who refuses to allow a second opinion or who demands that you follow only their treatment option and who will not accept any disagreement or discussion should NOT be in the profession, period, end of discussion. That is bullshit, utter bullshit.

She wasn't refusing treatment, she wanted her own vet to look at the dog, which is perfectly reasonable.

[Snake Plissken]

57. vets haters?

nobody in this thread has a problem with vets, they have a problem with dirtbags that choose to go into the veterinary business to extort money out of people.

[kestrel91316]

61. Nobody goes into this PROFESSION to extort money out of people.

Nobody goes into it for the money, either, because frankly, for the crap we have to put up with, it's simply not worth it.

We do it because we love animals and want to help them. And some of us hate clients who don't care half as much for their pets as we do. We also hate people who let their animals suffer needlessly.

If that dog was badly broken, he probably needed serious pain meds, and I bet he never got them.

[kylie5432]

76. Yes some do extort money

I worked as an RVT for 15 years in this field and saw this profession turn predatory. Things are beginning to change back due to the fact that there aren't enough rich people for vets to get their money from anymore. The cost of meds that vets pay a pittance for in outrageous.

One example: A litre of Lactated Ringers a few years back cost 1.97 cents but clients were charged 50 dollars to take them home for SQ fluids. Imagine if it was a cat on renal failure that needed SQ fluids every two days.. That could be 150 dollars a month for fluids that should have cost no more than 15 dollars a litre. Disgusting. And predatory.

[Safetykitten]

79. This^ correct.

[riderinthestorm]

103. This is true. With over 40 horses under my care at any given time

plus multiple cats and dogs, I have experience with virtually every vet in my area - equine, canine and feline.

I KNOW there are more than a few who are padding the bill....

Know it from first hand experience.

Welcome to DU

[steve2470]

129. kestrel, fwiw, I have had nothing but good experiences with vets

I know what you say about not doing it for the money must be true, with the amount of suffering and death they must see on a weekly, if not daily basis. I think people's comments are directed at an allegedly "bad vet". Not at the entire profession. You may want to take a break from this thread.

[EOTE]

63. It's not vet hating to point out that a particular vet is a righteous asshole.

That's kind of like saying that all the racists have turned out in force when we criticize Herman Cain for being a fucking dumb ass. I understand professional courtesy and all, but you won't catch me defending pedophile network admins simply because they're network admins. This particular vet is a piece of shit. You don't need to be so offended by that.

[RebelOne]

112. I do not hate vets, just vet emergency clinics. They are predators

preying on people's grief over a sick or injured pet.

[duffyduff]

49. Since this dog is still alive at 15,

it doesn't appear he was that badly injured to begin with.

Sounds like the vet was little more than a greedy crook.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

68. I'm not surprised....

There are some people who believe they have a constitutional right to own a business and the law it there to defend their right to make a buck and the cops are there to force people to fork over their money.

These types are totally confused when the "little people" out there stand up to them and the cops patiently have to explain to them that the "little people" have rights. Not only that but the role of the police is NOT to be their mob enforcers.

[Safetykitten]

74. Vets in general are not my favorite people currently. Here it's the golden ticket to

your wildest dreams to be a vet. The prices are insane.

[kylie5432]

83. Exactly and now there are great low cost alternatives

The City of Los Angeles has dramatically increased the quality of their spay and neuter clinic and now also do dentals for 200 dollars. Vaccines are low cost. Once a month a group comes to a feed store with vaccines and has a special- one service is free. Two weeks ago I got two free rabies vaccines.

Did I do this by choice? No because I no longer have the luxury of going to the vet paying 45 bucks for an office call and 20 dollars for a vaccine.

[Faryn Balyncd]

87. That vet is a racketeer.

[B Calm]

88. That's what it looks like to me too.

[Sheldon Cooper]

90. If her story is true, then I'm glad she's suing and I hope she bankrupts the vet.

I would have no way of coming up with $10K to save my dog and would be resigned to having her put to sleep if no other arrangements could possibly be worked out. To be arrested for not being able to afford a vet bill like that is outrageous, and the vet should pay through the teeth for even thinking about it.

[Waiting For Everyman]

95. She should cross-sue him for animal cruelty for refusing to donate his services. n/t

[BainsBane]

105. Why didn't the vet offer to do the surgery for free?

If he was so concerned about the dog?

[Boom Sound 416]

116. Sounds like somebody had boat payments

[tabasco]

122. Asshole vet

Unconscionable act of greed and cruelty.

Perform the surgery and allow the people to pay as they can.

[flvegan]

125. One day: armchair lawyers. Next day: armchair veterinarians. Sweet, DU!

Wait...no, today it's armchair veterinarians under advisement by armchair lawyers. All of which, at every turn, clueless.

So, dog was hit by car. That's sad. Wait...how did this dog get hit by a car while under the care of such responsible, loving "owners" anyway? Did they use the word negligent? No matter. See, things happen. It doesn't all have to end in a lawsuit.

24 hour vet clinic...that's an emergency room. That is expensive. I know, I use them (I run a rescue, I don't run animals over...just to be clear). If the injuries were such that the animal could be suffering the next day if left untreated, then the vet did their job utilizing animal control to make sure the dog wasn't being left untreated. The dog is fine, it appears. Isn't that what is important?

That's it. That's all.

Is that picture copyrighted by the same Ms Kelly in the lawsuit?

Lastly, who has a spare $10k for a surgery after getting hit by a car? You? Guess what, that vet is still a DOCTOR. Surgery isn't cheap, and because it's "just a dog" doesn't change anything.

[unblock]

127. a vet who charges $10k for surgery is refusing to do it for $9k.

seems to me that the vet is also guilty of whatever animal cruelty is involved here.

unless, as you seem to suggest, the animal cruelty wasn't due to the refusal to agree to surgery, but rather the incident that led to the dog's injuries in the first place? if so, then the vet's actions certainly qualify as extortion. he should have reported the owner for animal cruelty no matter what, or not reported her no matter what. making it contingent on her authorizing the surgery, from which he profits, turns it into extortion.

[flvegan]

128. Was there an offer at $9k?

I might have missed that part.

[riderinthestorm]

131. One of my dogs got hit and killed in my driveway by someone pulling in to turn around

Why make the assumption about this owner? That's pretty shitty. One of my clients AND his dog was hit by a car out walking at night, on a leash. The guy had very minor injuries and his daughter took off with him in the ambulance while the wife rushed the more gravely injured dog to the vet.

Yes SOME owners are negligent but you don't know the details about how this dog got hit.

[Regret A Vet]

133. POST STORIES on ~REGRET A VET FB~

Have you ever trusted a veterinarian but now regret it? Was your pet injured or killed due to veterinary negligence? Please share your stories, pictures and videos. Stay away from bad vets... it will help save lives! My story is at REGRETAVET.BLOGSPOT.COM

www.facebook.com/regretavet
www.regretavet.blogspot.com