livid....... why microchip! Vet in the wrong

[Bosworth]

some of you may be aware of my relationship breakdown this year, and the fact my ex is keeping Poppy, my little lurcher. It hurt to leave her, but I tried and tried to take her and eventually I had to accept I had to move on. Poppy is still registered in my name, with the vet and the microchip company and i will not change that until my ex has sorted out all the money he owes me. he has been extremely agressive with me verbally, and physically so do not judge me for leaving Poppy behind. I know he loves poppy, he is just ignorant of her needs. he will not think of taking her for a walk, just lets her out in the field, nor will he think about other canine company although she has never been an only dog. But I could cope with than knowing that at least my vets would keep him up to date with her needs medically. However, today I have discovered that he is moving to South Africa next Wednesday. Poppy is apparanly going with him. She has no pet passport My own vets were approached on Monday to change her into his name which they correctly refused to do. So he took her to another local vets. They have registerd her. I phoned to tell them she was my dog, and had they checked the microchip, they said yes, they scan them. but do not check ownership details or the lost and stolen register. Nor will they discuss what treatment Poppy has been given

I am livid. I have spoken to the microchip company and they have been great, the protocol is the vets scan the dog, then check ownership details with the chip company, and he should not have been able to register Poppy with them. The vet I spoke to is the practice owner, he was a total ****, told me he was not prepared to get involved with a marital dispute. I did tell him I was not discussing relationship, but the ownership of a potentially stolen dog that they have now aided and abetted.

Help, what the hell is the point of a microchip if vets just scan, and then register the dog. surely this means if my dog goes missing I have no hope in hell of it being returned. someone simply says its theirs and the vet believes them! he has turned up at a vet with no vaccinations, no information, no microchip details, and they have clearly not thought to ask any questions. she is registered to someone else...

 

[Dobiegirl]

http://vetsgetscanning.co.uk/outrage-as-tinkerbell-the-microchipped-dog-is-denied-reunification/


You might want to read this and it might offer you some help and guidence. Please sign the petition as well.

 

[Bosworth]

Just spoken to DEFRA they have done the paperwork it would appear. so she can be taken abroad! Livid with the vets, how dare they

 

[Smitty]

OH GREAT So the vet scanned for a chip and didn't bother to check the details on a new patient. I am not at all surprised.

After my chipped dog went missing (what chance have I got of seeing him again if vets adopt this attitude) I fostered for a local rescue and each time I took any dog to the vets, had to ask them to scan. When they did find a chip on one, they did at least ring the number registered and finding the phone was disconnected they wrote to the address.

I feel very sad for you Bosworth and can only imagine how you are feeling about this.

I signed Vets Get Scanning but have read somewhere that some don't scan as they are worried people will not take animals in case they turn out to be nicked! Whether they are concerned about the pet suffering or their income I have no idea.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Bosworth can you not take out an injunction against him taking Poppy abroad? I would certainly seek legal advice and perhaps contact that group who may have some suggestions. I know you have had a terrible time and this is further torture for you I cant imagine how you are feeling.


Smitty I emailed this link to my vets and they are making it standard practice which can only be a good thing. Everytime I take one of my dogs to the vet now I get them to scan just in case they have moved. A rescue I know takes in dogs from a Welsh pound and they always ask if the dogs are chipped. One recent incident they picked up 6 dogs and were told none were chipped when they got back to their centre they scanned and found 4 chips and one of these dogs was returned to their rightful owner.

 

[Potato!]

Which vets is this? PM if you prefer as i'm in the okehampton area. I would like to avoid them in the future

 

[wipeout]

I would be interested to know what the RCVS would say about this.
http://www.rcvs.org.uk/complaints/

I really feel for you OP.

 

[moosehunter]

Totally agree this is awful and think you need to act fast or lose the dog. Ring animal export at Carlisle because theres a possiblility ur ex has had to sign a decleraration of ownership to be exported- which of course could be false.
However put yourself in the vets shoes- should they just scan every dog that comes in ( this gets the owners back up un a lot of cases because its as if vet doesnt trust them) or should vets only scan animals with a shifty story or suspicion ( current common practice).
Ultimatly vets are not police nor are they responsible for all animal national security just because you think you pay yhem a lot for what they do.
Life would be a lot easier if the legislation came in that all animals had to be chipped- vets would probqbly feel more comfortable scanning everyone then e.g. at booster time

 

[Aru]

It will take at least 3 weeks before the passport can be used. Could you try contacting defra and contact whoever is in charge of animal exports , police etc to say the dog has been stolen? Legal advise at this stage would also be high on my list of priorities.

In every practice I have been we scan every dog that comes in to check for chips plus to see if they have migrated,then just note the number of the chip and put that on the record. Microchips are to relocate lost animals and strays IMO.

Checking every dogs chip for ownership etc is time consuming and impractical in the vast majority of cases, not to mention insulting to owners. In cases where its a stray or a suspicious circumstances,presented for euthanasia etc then checks will go on.....but in a known dog presented for a normal procedure its just not done. Your ex declared himself the owner even and likely mentioned the dog was chipped why would the vet be suspicious?He was the one in the wrong for presenting himself as the owner, considering he is taking care of the dog and is going to the lengths of bringing it at great expense to another country there is not really any alarm bells in that scenario....I dont think its unreasonable to not check ownership in that case....if the vets were aware that a dog was missing/stolen matching that description then it would be but by the sounds of things they acted in good fate and provided a regularly asked for procedure.


A vet will not get involved in a Marital/legal dispute, they are there for medical advise. In cases of issues such as this the police will usually be called to sort out ownership issues.

 

[moosehunter]

Aru it would be an export to SA not a passport.

 

[Umbongo]

Having worked in a vets the usual protocol is to scan for a microchip and note it on the patients file. Most vets will only contact petlog if the animal has been brought in as a stray or in suspicious cases. Petlog will not be contacted every time a new animal is registered, it is very time consuming not to mention insulting for a lot of owners.

It sounds like in this case your ex was not deemed to be suspicious. However when registering new animals we always ask for the vets the animal has previously been registered to so that we can obtain a veterinary history. It would have probably said on the history that your ex was denied change of ownership?

I really sympthasize your situation and I hope you can find some way of getting her back! Is there no chance of discussing this all with your ex? Are the police able to do anything?

 

[Bosworth]

There is no passport required as it is an export to South africa, and can be done in a matter of days, the vets is not North Park Vets, they were absolutely brilliant. it is another in the centre of town.

I have spoken to RCVS and the vets have contravened their protocol. Not every animal has to be scanned, but if they are they should be checked against the database. The vets were in the wrong as they have scanned and not bothered checking and it would be slightly odd circumstances, he has turned up at a vets that has never been used, with a six year old bitch, whom he must have claimed was his. Will not be able to tell them when she was last vaccinated or even wormed/ deflead. He must have asked them to sign her documentation for export. The vet I spoke to is the head vet, and he was not at all interested, or repentant, just kept telling me he did not want to get involved in a marital dispute. i kept saying that was not my point. I wanted to know why he had not checked on the database and what the protocol was, and that the dog was not my ex's so in effect he was aiding and abetting theft. Also would they not ask where her previous vets were, so that her vet history can be recorded. And if it says he was denied ownership would that not just ring alarm bells.

 

[CorvusCorax]

That's crap I know I always say this, but I would go to a newspaper.

 

[cbmcts]

Bosworth,

I could be completely off the mark here but is there anyway that you can get a free 30 minute consultation with a solicitor (I know that some offer this, CAB would be able to point you in the right direction) and enquire if an injunction could prevent the dog (your property) leaving the country. You have very little time to do this as Monday is a BH and he is leaving on Wednesday!

Another way to look at it is, you have already accepted that you have lost Poppy to your ex and as long as he will look after her does it matter if it is here or SA? That's not to say that his behaviour isn't despicable and confirms why he's an ex...

This might be none of my business (and feel free to say so!) but you also say that there are financial issues outstanding - you also have little time to sort them before he does a bunk.

Really hope it works out for you and Poppy.