I'm furious, but before I send off a very angry letter to the humane
society and the local newspaper here I want to make sure I'm not
overreacting.
 
I have never run a shelter and don't know much about them.  The humane
society here killed over 10,000 (YES- you read that correctly) animals
last year.  They adopted out a little over 900.  SO when our cat ran away
and I couldn't find a "free to good home" add in the paper for one, I
decided to visit the HS.  A few years back I got a puppy from there.
They charged $25 for cats and $35 for dogs then.  Yesterday I paid $95
for a stray cat that is almost a year old abd weighs 4.1 pounds, we fell
in love with him before we realized he was almost $100.  My boyfriend was
furious that they killed so many animals last year and want so much money
for a stray cat.  (no special breed or anything) so we left.  We had
noticed that he had a caugh and nasal drainage though and I mentioned it
to the employee at the desk and told her he needed to be examined and
separated from the others.  She made a quick call and while speaking
with the other person she mentioned that they had no empty beds in their
isolation area so someone would have to take him to the back.  I didn't
know what she meant, but knowing how many animals they put to sleep last
year I felt my heart sink.  We drove home minus one sick kitten and
talked all the way home about him.  We were both heartbroken that he was
sick, but my boyfriend didn't have $100 on him to get him.  (I had told
him it was only going to be about $25.)
 
Anyway when we got home I called and spoke to a supervisor to see if they
would reduce his price since he was sick.  They wouldn't, but they send
them home with a certificate for a "free" vetrinary exam.  She also
assured me that he has been placed in an isolation area and that he was
being treated.  So, half an hour later, at 6 p.m. last night, I drove
back up to the HS and bought him.  He was still in the cage I had seen
him in, with the other cats and had not even been seen.  They said that
he might have a mild respiratory infection and that he would be fine.
 
OK skip to this morning.  He spent the night curled up next to me on my
nice warm electiric blanket.  Sneezed all night.  This morning he had
diarrhea so bad it was stuck in his fur (he has long orange fur)  So he
had to get a partial bath (wrapped the poor thing back up in the electric
blanket asap of course)  Then I noticed he was mouth breathing , so less
than 12 hours after bringing him home I'm calling the vets trying to get
him in early on a saturday morning.  Took him to the closest animal
hospital where along with a massive mite infection he was diagnosed with
an upper respiratory infection and a parasite infection (one I've never
heard of) and that "free" certificate for examination of course only
covered the $30 exam fee.  I ended up spending another $100 for labs and
meds.  I'm furious.  He received no medical care while in their care,
according to the paper they sent home with him it says that he was last
processed on 12/20 (he came in on the 18th) I'm assuming that means that
he hadn't been looked at in the 7 days since he was "last processed"
 
am I right to be so upset, or am I expecting too much.  I'm not so much
upset at the $95 that I paid for him, he's such a sweetheart that it was
worth it.  I think they would probably adopt out a lot more animals if
their fee wasn't so high- but I think they were negligent in providing
adequate medical care for him.  I have never paid for an animal.  My
ferrets and my other cat were rescues and I happily have provioded for
their every want and need over the years.  In two days I have spent $200
on a sickly stray cat that spent ten days in the care of people that
should have known better and provided better care.
 
I'd really appreciate any opinions on this issue.
 
Thanks,
Melissa
 
[Moderator's note: Ferret-related examples might be welcome here.  But
a prolonged discussion about how the Humane Societies and the general
population deal with pet overpopulation would not be appropriate.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 4011]