Emergency clinic took dog from owner

[Scooby4]

I live in Alabama. Recently, there was a woman in our town who had a puppy hit by a car. Luckily, our town has an after hours Pet Emergency clinic. However, something shocking happened. The clinic took AWAY her Puppy because she couldn't pay the bill!
Apparently, the puppy needed about a $1,000 dollars worth of treatment. The lady could NOT pay the bill after the emergency treatment. (I believe it was a broken hip/leg) The clinic would NOT accept payments. So she had to sign the dog over to the clinic.
The next week she gathered the cash to pick up the puppy. The clinic GAVE AWAY THE PUPPY!!! THEN they wouldn't get it back! They said they did not know where the puppy was at!
I've gone to this clinc several times in the past and have depended on them for quick emergency phone calls. They charge $65 just to walk in the door. I had no choice in 2 of my cases. My cat was seriously injured and missing for 3 days prior to me finding her with a both hips broken. This Vet service was my only choice. However, I was unaware of this terrible policy.
Now I am not sure what to do in the future. I am NOT pleased with their policy. I can understand the side of the vets because they do stay overnight and work hard. But are they being too greedy?
They claim that you should always have money set aside to take care of such emergencies of your pet to be considered a responsible pet owner!!! I don't have any money set aside to take care of my OWN personal emergencies. Does that make me a bad human owner?
What is your opinion? Should I patron this establishment despite knowing they could take away my pet for not coughing up the money on the spot? Luckily in the past I did have the money available and this policy wasn't an issue. Is this policy unfair?
I am just curious if this is a policy of other vets or clinics? I still am not sure if the lady got her puppy back. The news media stepped in and maybe she got it back.

[Samantha Puppy]

I think it's ridiculous. If the person is willing to do a payment plan, that should be acceptable. Many people don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars laying around "just in case" (myself included) and you can bet your ass that if anyone tried to steal my Samantha (or even the two @$$holes, aka Sushi and Kirin), I'd be all over them like white on rice.

[caseysmom]

I would have called the police, most likely they would have made the clinic give her back her dog and told the clinic to take it up in court.

[Glacier]

They definately should have worked something out with her. It sounds like she was willing to make a payment plan. It might be different if she just outright refused to pay, but if she was willing they should have bent a little!

I do have an emergency vet fund, although it's a wee bit depleted right now due to several recent emergencies. I have a savings account that is only used for vet expenses. I make a deposit to it every payday. I don't think it neccessarily means you are not a good owner if you don't have funds set aside, but I do think it is something every pet owner needs to think about--what would you do if Fido needs extensive care? How would you pay? Where's your limit ect? These things need to be decided before an emergency arises. Not many people think clearly in an emergency.

I must say that their prices sound reasonable. My vet charges me 90 bucks to walk through the door after hours, plus thirty for every hour he is there or if he needs to call in a tech, plus whatever treatment is required.

I bet this brings enough negative publicity that the clinic relents and she gets her dog back eventually--or they change the policy for the future.

[micki76]

Originally posted by Glacier

I do have an emergency vet fund, although it's a wee bit depleted right now due to several recent emergencies. I have a savings account that is only used for vet expenses. I make a deposit to it every payday. I don't think it neccessarily means you are not a good owner if you don't have funds set aside, but I do think it is something every pet owner needs to think about--what would you do if Fido needs extensive care? How would you pay? Where's your limit ect? These things need to be decided before an emergency arises. Not many people think clearly in an emergency.

I have an emergency fund also. It's been a lifesaver to just put in a bit here and there instead of trying to come up with it all at once in an emergency.

I hope she gets her dog back. That's just cruel.

[chocolatepuppy]

They would take my dog or cat over my dead body! It's $80. to walk through the door at our emergency vet. I do have a credit card I keep just for that reason. (ours does accept them) We paid off our cards but my furkids emergencies is one reason I keep them. Our regular vet will let us pay payments, write post dated checks, etc. but they know me well, don't know if they do it for everyone.

[cali]

well then by that vets policy I am not a responasble pet owner, just because I dont have extra money to set aside. their would be no chance of me leaving that vets office without my dog thats for sure. I am stubbern, I could sit there for hours and refuse to leave without my dog.

[sabies]

That is just not right. I can't even believe that would happen. They should take whatever payments the woman can afford.

[Uabassoon]

I can understand them wanting their money, but that's still no reason for them to do what they did. Vets are supposed to show compassion for animals, not treat them like property. If they gave away the puppy they ended up losing $1,000 because in the end no one covered the vet bills. If they had just let her do a payment plan they would have eventually gotten their money back. I don't understand why they would give a dog away, it's wrong, they lose money, and it makes people not want to use their services.

[KYS]

I don't understand why the vet clinic would not
make an exception and take payments?
I wonder if their could be more to this story.
If these are the total facts, than that
Vet is heartless not to take a payment
plan in this case.

I am so happy the media stepped in.
I hope this story has a happy ending.

[boscibo]

There must be more to this story. Like Uabassoon said, they're out the money for treatment anyways (I'm assuming they treated the pup, since they ended up giving it away). It really doesn't make much sense for them to not just treat the dog and try and get the money later from the owner, through court or payments. Unless the woman had used the clinic before and didn't pay them? It could be she owed for a previous bill, and instead of simply turning the dog away they decided to keep him? Did they have any payment policies posted? I'm sure she had to sign something when she dropped the puppy off, maybe there was something in there.

Vets can get expensive, but they are not a charity. Many vets do extensive charity work, but they cannot afford to treat all animals free/cheaply - they'd go out of business quickly.

I keep a credit card and an emergency fund for my animals' emergency. It is something I have worried about, and having the card eases my mind. I never want to be put into a position of having to decide or debate about a too-expensive treatment. And as I have so often found out, animals will always get sick or hurt just when you are the brokest. They also tend to get the sickest/have emergencies on the weekends, when the emergency vet may be the only option.

I'm not saying that anyone who doesn't have an emergency fund/credit card backup in case of emergencies is a bad pet owner, but it is something to keep in mind - I speak from experience (not the good kind of experience).

[Scooby4]

I've been to this clinic on a few occassions. I was in such distress at the time that it did not matter what the cost was. I barely listened to their payment system as I was holding my injured baby. Who in their right mind is going to say "That MUCH MONEY??? FORGET IT! I WILL TAKE MY PET IN LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION HOME!".
Seriously, I've been there and they will NOT treat the animal if you do NOT agree to pay them before they do treatment. They did this to me. I agreed to the $65 walk in fee. Then I got hit up with $200 x-rays within 15 minutes. I accepted everything because my cat had 2 broken hips. They basically just took the xrays and explained to me her condition and some options with OTHER vets in town. NOT a their facility. They did NOT treat her except gave me 3 - 4 pain pills. I was told that the next day I should take her to my regular vet. They handed me the x-rays. That was it.
I had to pay about $300 on the spot. I did not realize that if I did NOT pay them I would have been forced to sign over my cat to them. This what happened to this lady. She went in with her son's puppy. It was hit by a car. She was soo distraught she told them to treat him. What else could she do? The dog was bleeding and had broken limbs. Her regular vet wasn't open since it was late at night. Vets seem to take ONLY regular clients animals in for emergencies or charge ALOT to take on new.
Human hospitals don't run this way. What if it had been her son that got hit by a car? Would you expect the hospital to keep her son until she coughed up the dough? Would they put him in foster care and lose him? I just think this vet clinic isn't operating on the up and up. It is considered immoral to charge people money in stressful situations. Kind of like getting shot in the leg and the doctor telling you to pay first before he removes the bullet.

[ramanth]

The after hours emergency clinic here does not take payments either.

I found this out when Kia was admitted. Thanks to PT and my parents, I had the money to 'bail her out'.

They told me why they couldn't, but I can't remember now. It'd be nice if they did, but either way, they saved Kia's life and I am forever grateful to the staff.

[RottiMommy49]

Our emergency clinic wants payment before you can leave. We have been there several times and luckily my credit card had enough open to pay the bills. I'm glad there is an after hour clinic but I wish they would take into account that sometimes people who love their pets ( or wouldn't be there in the first place ) just don't have the funds at that exact time and should at least give 30 days to pay. I think I would go broke had I been a vet....I'd be doing a lot of freebie stuff. I hope this lady got her baby back!
Sad situation