http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2011/12/23/20111223phoenix-man-loses-kitten-thats-his-saving-grace.html
"But Dockery said he couldn't immediately pay the estimated $400 veterinarian bill. He said instead of working with him, or waiting 24 hours for his mother in Michigan to wire the money, Humane Society staff told him the only way Scruffy would be treated is if Dockery "surrendered" the animal and signed away his ownership rights.
Fearing that Scruffy was in pain, Dockery said he signed. Now, on the day before Christmas, Dockery said he wonders if he ever will see Scruffy again.
"They call themselves the Campus of Compassion and Care. There's a big sign with those words on it over there. But I didn't get no compassion and I didn't get no care that day," Dockery said. "There wasn't any kind of confrontation, just a lot of tears, you know, when I signed those papers.
.....
"They refused to take it. They said they didn't want to do that because they've had trouble in the past," Koning said. "I offered to wire the money if they would hold the cat overnight. ... He (Dockery) could bring them the cash the next day. We offered to pay for boarding. But they didn't want to wait.""
He admits there was no force or coercion, no confrontation, and no guarantees. He didn't want to take the cat home at that time, he wanted to leave her there because he knew she needed care immediately and wanted them to give the care that day and pay the next. Which they could not legally do.
Once he signed the papers and the cat was transported to the Second Chance clinic, no, they could not give the cat back when it was still in need of treatment.
The only thing they could have done differently was accept the credit card by phone.
I assume that before surrendering the cat he called other vets to see if they would accept a card by phone. I know I would have. And I imagine that none of them would take it either.
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