URGENT HELP!!! GET MY PUPPY HOME

Nf89

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I don’t know who to turn to anymore or even what my rights are. This is such a complex situation and I strongly believe my emotions have been taken advantage of. I would welcome any advice anyone might have. I’m going to copy the letter I sent to the vet as it gives all information just blank out names. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Dear whom it may concern,

Please find all information below regarding my complaint, if I feel this is not looked at fairly and all circumstances taken into consideration I will be seeking further advise from RCVS, who I have already been told to contact but would rather we could sort an agreement between us first.

I would like to raise some concerns I have over C**** my puppy and the information I received from your vet on the 21/09/21, I do not feel I have received the best practise from your surgery.

C**** was bought in by my friend as I had not yet registered him with a vet as only bought him 48hrs beforehand. All vets I called in my area would not register new clients or did not have any appointments for that day. My friend phoned your ver**** branch as that is where she is registered and explained the situation in full, they agreed to see C**** and put him on the system in my friends name. C**** was very poorly when he was bought into you, the vet that checked him over explained it could be a fold of the intestines or parvo. Because C**** was not my friends dogs she called me and I was on the phone while information was being given and spoke to the vet. It was explained to me that C**** would need an ultrasound and blood tests for parvo and any other infection costing £600 and over night care with pain meds and fluids costing another £600. This was £1200 before any treatment and if it was parvo he would be put to sleep. As you can imagine my emotions were all over the place and I was devastated, I explained I did not have that sort of money right there and then so was there any way they could do an ultrasound and check the intestines first before doing bloods incase it was that? I was told no he needed both as he was so poorly. I was also told that if he needed surgery that would be a few thousand pound on top of the £1200. The vet was really upset by the situation and also said it was awful as it was just down to money so went away to see what could be done. When entering the room again she said there were 2 options either put C**** to sleep which she didn’t want to do to a 14 weeks old puppy or sign him over to the vets so I did not have ownership of him any longer and someone there would keep him and pay for the bill. I did not want my puppy put to sleep so agreed to sign him over. I do not believe I was in the right mental state to make that decision and at the time did not have full capacity due to my emotional state.
My friend asked when signing the paperwork can I sign this as he isn’t my dog and she was told yes because he was on the system as hers. I gave my friend permission to sign it but as stated I was not in a fit state of mind. The next day after a sleepless night and being so upset by the whole situation I realised I had been backed into a corner, what choice had I had. Either pay £1200 there and then plus more after treatment or sign him over, there was no time to think about it the decision had to be made straight away as his life was in danger.
I called the following morning to ask how he was doing and if they had found what was wrong with him and was told he had had surgery through the night as he had a cold in his intestines but was doing well. I explained all the above and asked if there was anyway he could be signed back over to me if I paid the bill and asked for a cost. Reception said they would call me back that morning. No one did, I called again and asked how he was and if the cost had been worked out yet and again told someone will call me back.
I was then called by another lady who changed all c**** details on the system over to mine so he was no longer in my friends name and she told me they still hadn’t done the bill but he was doing well and really perked up. Meanwhile I know someone who works along side your vets so asked her if a payment plan was something that could be offered and she said yes it should be.
After calling late in the afternoon for the 3rd time I explained I needed the cost as my dad would put a £500 payment down and I could work out a payment plan for the remaining, I was informed someone from finance would call me back. 18.20 came still no call and only 10 mins until the practise closed, I rang again and spoke to the head vet who said £500 isn’t enough and how would I manage weekly payments if my dad was the one paying the £500?

As explained above I was backed into a corner and was not in the right state of mind when signing c**** over to your vets. The bill as of last night was not £1200 plus a few thousand for surgery it was £1950 so I do not believe I have been given all the correct information. I also now believe I am going to be refused my dog back due to money, I understand your a business but you also have a duty of care to animals and surly money should not come before that duty? I’m not refusing to pay I’m simply asking for some compassion and understanding in this unusual situation. Never did I expect 48hrs after buying a puppy to then be hit with a bill like this. After looking at the terms and condition on our practise website you state that even with an inability to pay, emergency treatment to elevate suffering will always be given. These terms have been broken on your behalf because my 2 options when explaining I did not have that money there and then were to put him to sleep or sign ownership over to the vets.
Kind Regards

Since sending this letter the vets have point blank refused a £500 payment and a payment plan and have said without full payment I can’t have him. They have also stopped giving me any info on how he is and said your not his owner anymore. I have spoke with the RCVS and they couldn’t help so they put me in touch with their mediator service who said because he was signed over (even via my friend) I had given up ownership so the vets did not have to give him back without full payment.
I can’t bare the thought of loosing him
 

Nf89

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Then you need to pay the bill in full. Was he not insured? Most puppies come from the breeder with 5 weeks free insurance. Can you get a credit card or bank loan to pay the bill? If you do that will you be able to afford to look after the pup properly in future?
He didn’t come with insurance and I have tried all avenues honestly I just can’t raise £2500 like that. I was in the process of sorting insurance it just wasn’t done yet I had had him 48hrs.
I cant feel worse than I do. Iv owned dogs before I’m not new to it and they will always be cared for I always have insurance guess I was just to slow at sorting it this time
 

Nf89

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What a sad and difficult decision.

I hope you’ve contacted Trading Standards about the condition of the puppy and given them the breeders information.

first question I asked was could this of been know and we were told no, the vet said it’s common in puppy’s under a year and there’s no way of telling until they are really poorly. He wasn’t purchased from a breeder. He is 15 weeks old, another case of someone getting a puppy but my child’s allergic so being sold and we bought him.
 

ycbm

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I think these situations are bound to come up and it's not the first I've heard of on this forum. It is completely unethical, in my view, for a vet (or vet's employee) who is charging for treatment to take ownership of a client's animal in the heat and stress of an ongoing critical situation.

I understand that this means that a small number of animals will be put to sleep when they could survive, but what's happening now is simply not ethical.
.
 

AmyMay

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first question I asked was could this of been know and we were told no, the vet said it’s common in puppy’s under a year and there’s no way of telling until they are really poorly. He wasn’t purchased from a breeder. He is 15 weeks old, another case of someone getting a puppy but my child’s allergic so being sold and we bought him.

Then I apologise for my assumptions.
 

honetpot

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My friend had something similar happen to her after an RTA. I can sort see both sides, if you can not afford treatment, and the vet us taking the risk, their time is money ,and if they have to operate they will have to pay for the assistant's time and ongoing treatment with no guarantee they will get paid they want some control over the animal. If you had your car fixed you would have to pay for it before it left the garage, and most services carried out the 'goods' are by the service provider holds until paid for. You wanted the puppy treated, and really how ever much it cost that is what you have to pay, but you could not.
Most breeders have their puppies chipped and vaccinated before they are sold, so they have been checked over by a vet. You shouldn't really be a puppy of that age from someone who was not the breeder, at fifteen weeks it should have both its Parvo vaccinations.
 
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Nf89

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I think these situations are bound to come up and it's not the first I've heard of on this forum. It is completely unethical, in my view, for a vet (or vet's employee) who is charging for treatment to take ownership of a client's animal in the heat and stress of an ongoing critical situation.

I understand that this means that a small number of animals will be put to sleep when they could survive, but what's happening now is simply not ethical.
.
As soon as I walked out that vets I couldn’t believe what had just happened, I didn’t sleep all night and the next morning I felt like I had been put in an impossible situation
 

Nf89

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My friend had something similar happen to her after an RTA. I can sort see both sides, if you can not afford treatment, and the vet us taking the risk, their time is money ,and if they have to operate they will have to pay for the assistant's time and ongoing treatment with no guarantee they will get paid they want some control over the animal. If you had your car fixed you would have to pay for it before it left the garage, and most services carried out the 'goods' are by the service provider holds until paid for. You wanted the puppy treated, and really how ever much it cost that is what you have to pay, but you could not.
Most breeders have their puppies chipped and vaccinated before they are sold, so they have been checked over by a vet. You shouldn't really be a puppy of that age from someone who was not the breeder, at fifteen weeks it should have both its Parvo vaccinations.
But I’m not refusing to pay, I have offered £500 now and then £100 a week. He didn’t have parvo he had a folded intestine, and I had proof of vaccinations the vet wanted to test for parvo as he was displaying a lot of the symptoms. I have known of 2 puppy’s to die from parvo who were fully vaccinated against it.
 

Pearlsasinger

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But I’m not refusing to pay, I have offered £500 now and then £100 a week. He didn’t have parvo he had a folded intestine, and I had proof of vaccinations the vet wanted to test for parvo as he was displaying a lot of the symptoms. I have known of 2 puppy’s to die from parvo who were fully vaccinated against it.


The trouble is that you need to pay in full on the day at most vet practices. They would normally only offer a payment plan to someone that they know well. Is there no way that you can raise the money to pay in full?
 

DizzyDoughnut

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As soon as I walked out that vets I couldn’t believe what had just happened, I didn’t sleep all night and the next morning I felt like I had been put in an impossible situation

So if you walked out of the vets were you there? In your first post it sounded as though your friend took the puppy in and your were on the phone to her/the vet.
While I don't agree that the vets should have pushed you into signing over your puppy, I can also understand them not wanting to risk not getting paid, as you're not an established customer of theirs, they don't know you. I'm sure you'd have the best intentions of paying but I'm sure lots of people promise to pay and then don't.
Is there no way you could get a loan/credit card or borrow money from someone?
 

TPO

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Could you apply for a credit card? If you can realistically afford £100 per week then you'll pay it off quickly.

If you have a good credit rating then perhaps put the bill on your current credit card then apply for 0% balance transfer. It'll save you you wee bit in interest
 

Nf89

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So if you walked out of the vets were you there? In your first post it sounded as though your friend took the puppy in and your were on the phone to her/the vet.
While I don't agree that the vets should have pushed you into signing over your puppy, I can also understand them not wanting to risk not getting paid, as your not an established customer of theirs, they don't know you. I'm sure you'd have the best intentions of paying but I'm sure lots of people promise to pay and then don't.
Is there no way you could get a loan/credit card or borrow money from someone?
Sorry that was me making a writing mistake should say as soon as my friend walked out I couldn’t believe what had happened (I was on the phone to her the whole time she was in there with them) Iv asked everyone no one is able to help. I understand they don’t know if I will pay or not and they are worried £2000 is a lot of money but if the vets own him who pays for that bill then? He’s not being sold apparently a staff member is keeping him
 

windand rain

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Not sure what you are expecting us to say/do. I don't have spare money but I have an almost empty credit card for emergency vet bills. Could yout friend not pay on a payment scheme and you pay her if she is known to them and you can be trusted to pay her/him. You have to pay up or PTS in these situations you are lucky the vets have taken him on to be honest. I bet they won't get thousands when they rehome him
 

TPO

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Sorry that was me making a writing mistake should say as soon as my friend walked out I couldn’t believe what had happened (I was on the phone to her the whole time she was in there with them) Iv asked everyone no one is able to help. I understand they don’t know if I will pay or not and they are worried £2000 is a lot of money but if the vets own him who pays for that bill then? He’s not being sold apparently a staff member is keeping him

Sometimes, especially in instances of someone at the practice taking ownership of the animal, the costs are slashed to just the trade cost of drugs and materials used with staff giving their time for free. Staff can pay it off in a payment plan too.

That was the case at a couple of places where I've been
 

DizzyDoughnut

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Also just for general info every single vet around me has stopped taking on any new clients as they have been inundated with new clients and simply can't take anymore on, they are also having trouble finding vets to employ so can't just take on more staff to cope with the sudden increase in demand. They are urging people to find and register with a vet before they get their new pet, otherwise you could end up stuck in an emergency and unable to get routine jabs etc
 

SusieT

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So you bought a puppy yes? Without any insurance or provision for vet bills? Presumably not from a reputable breeder ?
You must have thought about getting it vaccinated? Which vets had you registered him with for this?
Your vets did offer you treatment - you declined it as you could not afford it. You then signed puppy over as someone else was willing to pay the bill?
Unless you can pay the full bill why should the puppy return to you - instead of to the people who were willing to pay the bill to treat his illness there and then? How will you provide for the puppies future veterinary needs?

Could you not have put the money on a credit card or taken out a loan? Why does anyone else have to work out how to finance/etc surgery for a puppy you purchased?
Sorry- its sad but I would take it as a sign that you were not meant to have this puppy and move on -.
 

Nf89

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Lucy’s Law is a ban on third party puppy sales, ie puppy dealing. However it doesn’t prevent someone who bought a puppy for themselves selling it on (as apparently in your situation).
Yep just googled it I was aware of this law just didn’t realised it was called Lucy’s law. She was the only puppy/ pet in the house and we were given proof of vaccinations, microchip ect. Although I don’t agree with getting rid of a puppy at 15 weeks because of an allergy if we didn’t buy her someone else would of. It wasn’t going to stop her being sold on
 

SusieT

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Also - ref being backed into the corner- unfortunately this is the nature of sick animals - why should puppy suffer because you haven't planned properly, I assume the vets could not wait or he would have died. I think emergency treatment if you cant afford e.g. surgery is euthanasia- so without someone else taking on said puppy he would be dead.
 

Nf89

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So you bought a puppy yes? Without any insurance or provision for vet bills? Presumably not from a reputable breeder ?
You must have thought about getting it vaccinated? Which vets had you registered him with for this?
Your vets did offer you treatment - you declined it as you could not afford it. You then signed puppy over as someone else was willing to pay the bill?
Unless you can pay the full bill why should the puppy return to you - instead of to the people who were willing to pay the bill to treat his illness there and then? How will you provide for the puppies future veterinary needs?

Could you not have put the money on a credit card or taken out a loan? Why does anyone else have to work out how to finance/etc surgery for a puppy you purchased?
Sorry- its sad but I would take it as a sign that you were not meant to have this puppy and move on -.
As stated in previous comments, he wasn’t bought from a breeder, he was 15 weeks old, vaccinated, micro chipped but the family who bought him at 8 weeks old had a child who was allergic. I’m not a first time dog owner. I have always had insurance for my animals, this time I just stupidly didn’t sort it quick enough. I had him 48hrs
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Also just for general info every single vet around me has stopped taking on any new clients as they have been inundated with new clients and simply can't take anymore on, they are also having trouble finding vets to employ so can't just take on more staff to cope with the sudden increase in demand. They are urging people to find and register with a vet before they get their new pet, otherwise you could end up stuck in an emergency and unable to get routine jabs etc
Same round here.
Mine are also now refusing to pts dogs for anything non injury/sickness related. They have had a good number of calls about behaviour issues etc.
Both local RSPCA branches are full, not just staffie types but apoo things too.

OP, credit card.
 

SusieT

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'He didn’t come with insurance and I have tried all avenues honestly I just can’t raise £2500 like that. I was in the process of sorting insurance it just wasn’t done yet I had had him 48hrs.

Insurance takes ten minutes to sort online..
 
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