Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A Sad Pet Story

This is a story of a girl and a dog that unfortunately is true. It makes me value the care my dog received last week from a loving vet.

Yesterday morning as I was making a cup of tea, a woman in my office, whom I think of as just a girl, related a story of what happened to her feisty golden retriever last Friday. She lives in a fairly rural area of Calvert County, an area where dogs have lots of space. Her dog, however, as he attempted to escape under a fence caught his back leg and did tremendous damage to it in freeing himself.

At the animal hospital, she was given 2 choices by Dr. CG: orthopedic surgery with the entire amount due on the spot or putting the dog to sleep. She begged them to give her a payment plan because she simply did not have that kind of money in ready cash, adding that she had always paid her balance on time in the past. When that wasn’t acceptable, she asked for help in contacting the golden retriever animal rescue organization. They claimed not to have any information. In a final plea, she asked to be with her dog when they put him to sleep and was told that it would be too costly. Go figure!

In desperation, she released her dog to these heartless so-called animal caregivers and went home to tell her children their pet was dead.

Having come through such a scare with my dog last week, I was livid when I heard her story. I was also suspicious of what was really going on. Did they not want her to be with the dog because they were going to use him in some sort of experiment or as a lesson in surgery? Or worse still, was he destined to supply dog meat to the highest bidder? God forbid either of these was true.

I am simply appalled at this type of behavior from a very-much-for-profit organization whose goal is to help animals get well. This one never had a chance.

I called them up to ask some pointed questions, but they refused to talk to me since I wasn’t the one who had the experience. I made it quite clear that I would go way out of my way before setting foot in this animal hospital if this is the way they treat sick animals and their owners.

18 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

What a horrible experience. How money hungry has some of us become. Compassion and ethics are words that these people do not even know. Go to your local papers and tell them about this call national vet associations and let them know that people like this exist and they should not be allowed to operate in this way.
I don't even know the individual you talk about but I feel the rage.

I am so sorry for her loss.

10:33 AM  
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

This has just sickened and saddened me. I'm almost speechless. I feel such sympathy for that girl. I wish something would bring that to justice, but it won't bring her dog back. Give her a hug from me. Give your dog an extra hug.

11:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will try not to cuss. But things like this make me cuss like a sailor. Sorry SOB!

I agree with you, he probably kept that baby to perform experiments. My vet would never ever do that. He has always, in the 25 years I have used him, let me be with my pets that have had to be put down. He has always worked with me on payment. Damn, there is not sense in that MFRAB!

1:54 PM  
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

My vet even came out to my friend's car to euthanize her old sick dog since she just couldn't make herself go into the office. Wouldn't he have let her use visa and then try to scrape up $$$ from somewhere when it came in?

7:01 PM  
Blogger Melissa said...

This just goes to prove my long standing, and well researched theory: People are assholes.

I would have charged that up on my credit card, then, promptly placed the item in dispute, saying that they overcharged or something. That was her out. That was her "payment plan." The credit card company denies payment to the vendor until the issue is resolved. Sometimes it takes 6 months.

4:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I happen to know more about the situation than any of you (including the original poster) and that version of the story seems to have huge gapping holes in it.

5:17 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Anonymous -- Where were you when I called to try to understand better what had happened to my friend's dog? Can you fill in some of the huge "gaping" holes? Can you explain to me the reason why any pet owner should ever be denied the right to be with her animal when it is being put down? Are you part of the staff there? Since last Friday, she has now received a letter stating that she can no longer use the services of this facility even though it was not apparent to me that she ever did anything wrong. This whole thing continues to make me ill.

10:25 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

One more thing for the record: The golden retriever rescue league (GRREAT) acknowleges that the Dunkirk Animal Hospital is a participant. If so, why was my friend told they didn't know how to contact GRREAT? Something doesn't add up here...

10:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very sad, indeed. And to the anoymous commenter, I believe "gaping"is the word you are looking for. Do us a huge favor and don't trash a lovely blog with your ignorant, small commments.

11:26 AM  
Blogger Barbara said...

I feel obliged to give an update to this story supplied by a stranger who happened to be in the waiting room of the Dunkirk Animal Hospital at the time my coworker brought her dog in. If I had only been able to hear this other side of the story, I would not have come out so strongly against the vet and the hospital initially. According to the new source, the dog had been injured the previous day, his leg was just hanging by a thread, and there was already visible infection. This new person stated that the vet did the right thing for the dog while suffering a storm of strong language. The new person also related stories about her own interaction with the animal hospital that seemed more like the loving treatment we have always received where we take our dogs. I felt the pain of the pet owner, I'm sorry for her loss, but I'm somewhat confused by these two stories that cast everyone except the dog in a totally different light.

4:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is very sad. A dog is like a part of your family. two years ago my dog got hit by a car. He had a broken jaw. I feel so sorry for her.

3:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

GODBLESS your hearts, I know from experience that not all veterinarians have hearts, just the want for deep money filled pockets. But GOD sees all and there is no hiding from this or anything. Your sweet dog is wrapped in the arms of JESUS now and if the vet was as heartless as he was made out to be, he will slip on each rung on that stairway to Heaven and end up in his eternal home (HELL), GOD forgive me for judging. I know it doesn't look like it, but I am practically speechless or my goodness what I would say. I'm so very sorry for your loss, GODBLESS and keep you an all the readers of this and their loved ones Always Safe, Healthy and Happy!

12:54 PM  
Blogger Dana said...

This is very obviously not true. I use DAH and have formed a friendship of sorts with Dr. Goehle. He is a huge animal lover and would not tell her she could not be with her animal. In fact, him and his wife have a dog that was due to be PTS after being an experiment dog while in vet school. They jumped through hoops to adopt it before it was too late. I really wish people would stop spreading lies about others.

2:32 PM  
Blogger Dana said...

I'm also glad to see your update. THAT is the DAH I know, and Dr. Goehle has the biggest heart (his wife too, who also works there). I knew this wasn't true.

2:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i hate that anyone could do that to a poor dog. if the person cudnt pay for it then y didnt they give the person the option to give up her pet and let it be saved and put up for adoption for someone who could pay for it. i want to go on strike or something to put a stop to unreasonable animal putting down(killing).

9:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We have taken our dogs to Dunkirk Animal Hospital for 7 years and have seen Dr Goehle as well as the other vets in the practice many times for both our dogs. I am not sure that I have ever met a vet who still retains his compassion for dogs the way Dr. Goehle does. Frequently, like human doctors, I feel like the day in day out office visits can make docs immune. He is certainly the exception to the rule. He like to give pet owners every possible solution to their pets issues. Yes, he stresses which procedures may be pricey for the risk involved, but he is only doing this to help people on limited budgets make the best choice for their family. When risky surgeries go wrong, the expense can be astronomical. He is hones letting people know the surgery may not cure the problem, in some cases. I suspect this Poster couldn't pay what was needed and he gave her the options she could afford. In this time of people skipping out on medical bills, I'm sure vets need to charge ahead to guarantee payment. Can you imagine how expensive vet visits would be if we had to pay to cover every jerk who skated out of his bills. If people want payment options, they should purchase pet insurance or something. The sign on my doctor's office reads "Payment due at the time services are rendered," so why should pets be any different? Give Dr Goehle a break. We have had some major expenses with our dogs ($5500 in the past two years, not including well visits and preventative meds)and it is part of owing pets. If you can't afford every emergency that comes up, you can't afford to have a pet.No different than kids.

10:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i think this was a very sad but yet unbeliveable story.... Those money hungry people at the animal hospital didnt care about the owners feelings about the poor dog ..and now who knows what those cruel people did to the dog.... if i was the owner i wouldnt hold business with the hospital anymore look at what they already did to 1 persons imagine if this happened to many .....but anyway those people probaly broke that womens heart im so sorry about the loss

7:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OMG i'm soooo sorry! how terrible that would of been. I would LOVE a dog of my own but im not allowed...........

3:35 AM  

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