Hi all (sorry BIG, this is long, but important),
 
I am writing because after being shocked and stirred to tears, I need to
ask for advice as I refuse to just sit around and do nothing about it.  I
am located and Maryland, and I love the vet that my ferrets see.  I take
my dog and cat to a different vet, and my ferret vet deals with ferrets
as well as other animals, but I can't stand the vet practice he works
for.  This place is hailed by some as the greatest vet practice, but
other think otherwise of it.  Let me tell you a story.
 
My mom took her dogs to our "ferret" vet to have their dentals done as
they do it less expensively than her regular vet.  Our vet does the
procedures, and my mom goes to pick her dogs up.  While she's waiting
she witnessed two things.  First is there is this man whose dog has been
in the ICU at the hospital and he was given a written qoute of $1000
dollars.  He got a message on his phone to tell him that the dog could be
picked up, and that his bill is $2000.  He called and left a message for
the billing person and she called his cell phone and left a message
saying that they don't do payment plans, payment before the dog goes home
is required in full and if he can't pay it, the dog will be put to sleep.
He saved this message and came into the vet's office and asked to speak
to someone.  He played the message back for her and she smiled (not
nicely, more of a smirk) and said that she's sure that they wouldn't be
put to sleep but that they don't take payments and that the charges will
continue to rack up until he is picked up and paid in full.  My mother
overheard this and say how distraught this man was, and suggested he
speak with the office manager.  The lady said she was the office manager.
Needless to say, my mom didn't see this man leave with this dog.
 
Then, to make matters worse, another man comes in and brings in his dog
whose just been hit by a car.  They tell him that before they can see the
dog, he needs to give them a $1500 deposit upfront and if the costs were
less than that, it would be refunded.  He asked if they could please take
the dog in the back and at least make sure that he's ok while he pays,
and they refused to do that until the payment was made, so the man had to
stand out there with his possibly dying dog and wait for the credit card
to be processed etc.
 
Now, I am a nurse and if we said we weren't going to see you until you
pay us some money, that would be considered a delay in care, and a
lawsuit would probably follow.  Obviously there aren't the same morals
and ethics at least in this veterinary office.  I am pissed to put it
lightly.
 
My mom and I both agree that the office staff aren't friendly in the
least and don't even seem to really be interested in the animals they
care for.  That said, I love my ferret vet, even though for major stuff
I go to a different vet because the cost is such a difference, but I
absolutely hate who he works for.  He doesn't fit in with that type of
business at all.  His bedside manner is excellent and he's friendly and
easy to talk to, but I hate to keep giving that business my money.  The
other vet is a good hour or so away and they don't have 24 hour care
which makes it hard if something happens after hours to my fuzzies like
happened before.
 
I was in a similar situation when my Julia was 11 months old and I didn't
have the money outright to pay for her surgery for a bowel obstruction.
They wanted two almost three times the amount that the vet I ended up
transferring her to (I had her diagnosed and stabilized by our vet and
then due to cost took her elsewhere) did, and our vet made the phone call
to the vet we transferred to (he used to work for the same company but he
and his wife, also a vet, opened their own practice) to find out how much
he would charge for the surgery.  But before he made that phone call, I
sat in the waiting room (after she got fluids and stabilized) holding
her, crying in hysterics, and the only people who tried to comfort me
were my vet and another visitor.  I thought I was going to have to let
her die because I couldn't pay to fix her.  He suggested that I call
rescues/shelters who would take her and fix her (even though she wouldn't
be mine anymore) and at least she would live.  I just balled and balled.
I felt so guilty that she was going to die because of me.  I borrowed
money from any friends and family I could find, but what if I didn't
have it and couldn't get a hold of a rescue/shelter to help her?
 
What if that man who brought his poor dog in after being hit by a car
didn't have any open money to use to have his dog cared for?  Who does
this vet office think they are to treat people like that, or animals for
that matter?
 
I told my mom that at the very least she bore witness to the events and
should absolutely write a letter to the vet's office as well as the
Baltimore Sun to discuss what is going on because those of us animal
lovers who consider our pets to be our family would be appalled and in
my honest opinion, if that office or business suffered, well, they damn
well deserved it.
 
I almost called my vet to tell him what I heard, and to ask him to call
me back to discuss it and my feelings towards it, but I didn't know if I
should.  To be completely honest, I wanted to beg him to go to another
vet's office to work, that one whose values matched his would consider
him an asset to their office.  I didn't.  I need advice on what I should
do.  I can't just sit by and let this happen to people.  It brings tears
to my eyes that people act that way.  And I feel for the people who had
that happen to them today.  I don't know what I would have done.
 
Please tell me what I should do or can do.  I'm outraged and not willing
to just drop this.  I'd love to go and protest them, but there aren't
any other ferret vets close to me, and I need someone to take care of my
furbabies.
 
Jen and Archie
The Great Eight fuzzies
and their dog and cat
[Posted in FML issue 5017]