My Vet Has Hired "Thugs"; Shakes down pet owners...

Originally posted by jasonjnelson
reply to post by The Nighthawk

 

Thanks nighthawk.

I really doubt I can get a lawyer, unless the object in his throat came from there. However, I do happen to know every important person in my town, due to my job, and I don't think they would throw me out of their offices if I went in. I just have to wait for a day more....

But I do know the BBB president in this town, and I know all of the local News people... so this may get interesting if I take this to small claims court. (which is where I may have to go, I know)

[edit on 10-7-2008 by jasonjnelson]

The BBB is your best bet. Hold off on the media until you have all your ducks in a row--having worked in the media I can tell you that even though we don't usually go into that much depth on anything (at least not in radio) local media outlets who rely on advertising dollars from community businesses are often reluctant to release a story that might anger potential customers, especially if the evidence isn't very strong. If your primary vet will sign off with her medical opinion (tough to get; like some human doctors, many vets change clinics often and are reluctant to upset their colleagues and/or potential employers--if it's her own clinic your chances are better), that will help you immensely. It would also help if your local media do real investigations, use undercover tactics, etc.; few do anymore (too costly and very risky in many cases--reporters assigned to such tasks usually want a lot more money than their superiors are willing to pay, and again, there's the "potential customers" thing).

Not trying to discourage you. I'm just laying out options based on my own experiences and those of people close to me. Do what you can to get these bastards. Just make sure you don't jeopardize more important things in seeking justice--I've known too many would-be Ahabs in my time.

Also...and this is just what *I* would do, but if the cat is on i.v. drip and that hospital does NOT have someone there 24 hours I would not leave him there over the weekend.

On the weekends they have someone come in twice a day to "check" the animals (which means the vet techs rush and get everything done as quick as possible, then leave) and a constant i.v. drip unsupervised is really not that safe. Plus if he is home and can truly REST he may recooperate a lot faster and start eating on his own faster. They also need to scope that cat ASAP. Why haven't they done it yet? Are they afraid to put him under anesthesia? What is the reason for the hold up?


[edit on 10-7-2008 by Sonya610]

reply to post by semperfortis


Thanks so much man! Yeah, I will know more by tomorrow, but from the resources given to me already by the membership here, it seems to me that they could have the best lawyer in the world, small claims court is still just that.

I'm just not sure yet how libel they are for their ineffective treatment. All of the other aspects fall under causing duress, and possibly causing more health issues for my cat. (which to me makes the difference)

reply to post by jasonjnelson


You don't have to sue for the court costs, the loser in a civil action usually is ordered to pay whatever court cost are accrued..

What I would do first is go to the local Magistrate/Justice of the Peace or whatever similar station you have in your particular jurisdiction and ask his advice.

It is also one heck of a good idea to contact the local Animal Rights organizations. It is entirely possible they know of this as it is unlikely you are the first person this has happened to.

Also take a few minutes and schedule a sit down with your local DA/Solicitor/AG, or whatever they have as a prosecutor where you are. It will surprise you how much advice they can give you even in a Civil Matter. Remember they are elected and will generally do everything they can to help you when you are the victim as you are in this case.

Keep us posted...

Semper

reply to post by semperfortis


You are awesome man.... Of course those are the people to see.. (head slap)

I guess I will feel more aggressive when the kitty is okay again... Like tomorrow... I feel a little abused right now, and might come off as aggressive, you know?

I worked for an Emergency 24 Hour Veterinary Hospital for a number of years. They always will give an ESTIMATE of what they THINK they will need to do. Then they ask for half of that as a deposit.

I have been there when others didnt have the money etc, but my place would have NEVER offered up euthanasia as an alternative. That is just horrific and gives good Vets a bad name. We would usually take what the patients "mom or dad" had as a deposit. 50-100, whatever. Then discuss it further the next day, especially for middle of the night emergencies.

I cant tell you how many times people would rush in after 1am with a sick pet, only to find that they had left their money or wallet at home due to the emergency.

I think that before anyone goes to work at one of those places they should take a class on COMPASSION for others. Many of the vets, and staff seem to be used to the trauma and become accustomed to it. They then take it out on the patients, and their "parents".

I know that my place did try to make people pay half of the estimated cost of care due to the MANY times that someone would only put a small deposit or none at all and then the next day , upon checkout would refute the charges. It takes one bad egg to ruin it for everyone else.

I feel horrible that you had to go through that with your baby. I don't know what i would have done if that had happened to me with one of my babies. I DO know that i wouldnt have been able to pay the deposit though...

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


Thank you for your shared experience...

This place wanted over 1500 dollars just to begin treatment. It explains a lot to me that they never actually treated anything. And, yeah, I can't afford it either. (if my friends are reading this, this was not an elaborate ruse to borrow money to go to Vegas)

Jason

reply to post by jasonjnelson

Hi jason, Cases like this make me very disappointed about what is happening in my profession. I'm a vet nearing retirement so of course I've seen a lot of changes.

Here in Anchorage we have a couple of emergency clinics that operate at night. I like to think they are very ethical and professional. The clinic you went to sounds well, very unprofessional. However, in defense of all night veterinary clinics, they have to deal with some clients that are real problems like beligerants, deadbeats, drunks, on drugs and on and on. Often they have to call the police to get the people to behave and so on. They also seem to charge a lot and often do too many tests and procedures so you have to watch that. I suppose if you said right away "I don't have unlimited money and I don't want to spend over X amount" it would help them fit their care to your resources. Often my own clients will go to the emergency clinic and have them get the pet stabilized so they can come here in the morning and get more reasonable care that they can trust.

Hope your kitty recovers soon and completely!

reply to post by plumranch


I have friends up that way! I hope you enjoy that retirement, sounds like you did a good job. What I don't mind are higher fees for 24 hour service. But to do nothing for my cat at all? For $953? And then threaten Euthanizing or no treatment at all?

Tell me Doctor, what is the first test you would have run on a cat spewing diarrhea everywhere? (sorry for the visual) my vet says two at the same time. Blood and fecal. You?

I'm guessing the same?

The vet I use has never asked me to sign anything or pay before administering any treatment. We can drop our pets off there, and basic care and treatment is started, then they will phone to ask permission to do other treatment that will be 'x' amount of $$. On my last visit, I paid 2 weeks later, and they weren't pushy about having to wait for payment.

I will say, they try to tell you your pet has all kinds of serious ailments they need to test for. I can tell by the "options" they offer, they are evaluating how far I will go. I usually play it up I'm not willing to empty my bank account.

I think that if you go in there announcing "I will pay whatever to save my pet ..." they'll stick it to you, playing on your heart strings. They see you coming and they quicky profile you and charge accordingly.

In any situation, you should never pay in full until services have been rendered, and the customer is satisfied. Unfortunately in the middle of the night, when you are desperate it would be difficult to make other choices.

It can work to stop payment on a cheque, but I think in legal terms once you sign and hand over a cheque you have already agreed to pay for services, if it came down to a lawsuit.

Originally posted by Grafilthy
reply to post by jasonjnelson

 

The problem with dealing with people like this in a "legal way" is that they have all your and my money.

I am sure a lawyer is out of the question because of the cost.

Which brings me back to the "vets" vette' in the parking lot......

Sorry, they stole a lot of money from me.

This. Should you exhaust all legal options, these type of people -cannot- be allowed to perpetrate their fraud and bully tactics. A post on a website is not going to help.

"Enlighten" the bastard to the pain and suffering caused to you and your animal. You know what I mean.

reply to post by violet


Yeah, My current vet is basically going to allow the same thing.

I really have yet to find out what exactly they did at the other vets. Apparently they also gave him an overdose of some blood pressure medicine. I wonder if I can subpoena the cameras from the treatment area in small claims court...

If it's not too late, here's what you do:

First, contact the newspaper with your complaint, AND recepits and with the cooperation of your vet.

Second, Google has reviews of businesses. Google out that vet clinic, and post a 5-6 sentence review of your experience. If yours is the most recent, yours will come up first.

Take a look at the reviews of this clinic (not yours or mine):
www.insiderpages.com...

Angie's List also reviews veternarians:
www.angieslist.com...

In all negative reviews, be factual and professional (as you have in the first message) and concise. That carries a lot of weight.

Come to think of it, since you're considering a lawsuit, you might LOOK at those places to see who's lodged complaints against the practice. You can't be the only one with that experience.



...and I hope your poor fuzzy makes a full recovery. I adore my cats.

[edit on 10-7-2008 by Byrd]

Originally posted by jasonjnelson
... That was when things got interesting. The man said he would be right back, and left. I waited, and then he returned, with a young man who quickly identified himself as a former recon Marine. I said we had some things in common.
The guy then positioned himself near me, staring me down. The other clerk said he had to try a credit card or no dice.

Where is this poor excuse for a scum sucking wad, former marine Recons are just that, FORMER marine recons. Which is usually a tough talking BS filled beer swilling moron with a fifth grade education.

Hell, I'm in the area, let me know where this piece of work is and I'll work him over the way a professional does.


Here is a Windows Live Local Search --shows 10 targets.
maps.live.com... ZTM0LjM1OTU5MjM5MjIzNDYlN2UtMTE5LjgwNDUzNDkxMjEwOQ==

[edit on 10-7-2008 by 2stepsfromtop]

what is the first test you would have run on a cat spewing diarrhea everywhere?

reply to post by jasonjnelson


I'd get a history of recent exposures, vaccine history, do an exam, temperature, etc, general condition then do a blood count (CBC), electrolytes and organ function (SMA), possibly a feline leukemia test, a direct fecal and a flotation and do a gram stain on the fecal to see what general types of bacteria are present. The tech can do a giardia test pretty easily also. I had my receptionist do an estimate and it came to $250. I'd talk to you first to see if you wanted all that and if it all seemed necessary.

Some vets will say you have to do all the lab or we might miss something. If the client doesn't want to do it all I'll just tell them about how this could possibly affect the diagnosis and we might miss something, etc. If the cat has leukemia or giardia you'd want to know. Generally, you can start a treatment without doing a big workup or you can save part of the labwork for the regular vet to do the next day.

jason
so sorry you had to and have to go through this bs...
poor little kitty too....
mabey you can call you local MP
I did that once and was surprised and very pleased at the action they took .

anyway I`m rootin for ya... good luck

What a horrible situation to be going through. I'd be full-on pissed off if this happened to me and one of my pets.

Originally posted by Maya432
jason
so sorry you had to and have to go through this bs...
poor little kitty too....
mabey you can call you local MP
I did that once and was surprised and very pleased at the action they took .

anyway I`m rootin for ya... good luck

If you're referring to calling the local military police there, I second this action. At worst you'll find out he's a liar, either way impersonating an enlisted man is a prosecutable offense.

Man convicted of impersonating a Marine

I hope Sawyer comes thru, we've lost all but one of our cats now, most had a good run, a few died prematurely however...

but I understand how this should make you feel.

And in all honesty, if that had happened to me, I would have seriously put them in their own emergency treatment ward, in an actual person hospital.

We've had to take one of our cats to an emergency vet after hours once, and she was pretty useless - we ended up losing misty due to infection from the treatment said emergency vet performed, after somehow her back was broken at the same time there was a party going on across the street with loads of retarded little idiots drinking and swearing out the front.

But there was no issue of payment on the spot. Every vet we've encountered is at least compassionate enough to understand these bills can be expensive and allow up time to pay.

But I agree, there are simply a lot of people pretending to care for animals, while rubbing their hands together at the thought of easy money.

Rarely do we find a good one, and more often, someone who's shockingly inept.

1 moggie left now tho, so all of thats pretty much behind now..

Oh and Im sure you know this, but if you keep Sawyer purring by constant affection and scratching, from my experience with sick cats, that makes them eat.. Sat with our patches, after he had his back legs pinned after he was run over, and wasnt eating for days.. within half an hour of constantly petting him, he was wolfing down food.

you can tell when they are purring from being happy, their eyes show it, as opposed to purring when they are scared..

Originally posted by bloodcircleOh and Im sure you know this, but if you keep Sawyer purring by constant affection and scratching, from my experience with sick cats, that makes them eat.

Yeah that is supposed to encourage them to eat. I have read it is similar to when they were kittens and nursing and their mother cleans them. The attention does stimulate a feeding response.

Having a few choices helps too. His favorite cat food, cooked chicken breast, tuna out of a can, steak, whatever they want. Getting them to start eating is more important than what they eat initially.