SUBMITTED: Thursday, April 16, 2009
POSTED: Thursday, April 16, 2009
I am disabled and am on very limited funds. My dog had a very bad infestation of maggots, which must have come on very quickly, because I had bathed him a few days before I noticed the problem and saw no sign of an infestation at that time.When my dog began whimpering I thought it was due to his arthritis. Anyway, when I did see the maggots, I bathed him, and called a vet.I was told by this vet that I should use one part water with three parts hydrogen peroxide and it would kill the maggots. I also told her that I had discovered thay had burrowed into his body and even made a hole. She was unfazed and just said to cut the fur and use the peroxide mixture. I asked if there was a problem with them getting into his blood stream and she said no (don't believe it!).
Anyway, my dog was feeling worse and worse, and was getting lethargic, and I realised he was in grave danger. I had called all all around for a low cost clinic and found none. I called the Humane Society to find out what they offered and they said they said they did not euthanize (if that became necessary) animals under my circumstances and referred me to call a vet's office, who gave the above advice about the peroxide. I called a friend and she said, "if your dog is howling like that, you have to get him to the emergency clinic NOW!" She told me there was an emergency vet clinic in Palo Alto, named South Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic. I called them and told them I was coming in. I had to; my dog was in extreme pain.
When I got there I told them I had no money right now, but they went out and got my dog and brought him in. When I saw the sign on the wall that said they did not bill and payment was due after treatment, my blood ran cold. It wasn't my idea to be low-income and disabled. I already had lost my husband to drowning, and my house to near foreclosure and live as best as possible from check to check with no extra left. My dog was a precious friend and a part of my family. I had brought a ring that I still had from better days hoping to use it as collateral, if necessary.
My dog was on the examination table and the money talk began. How was I going to pay the bill, they asked? I said I had around $17.00 left, but that I had a $1,500 ring my husband had given to me that they could either have, or hold until I paid the bill. The assistant took it to ask the doctor, but came back and said no. Then she said that there was a company that would extend credit and if I wanted to apply for that I could pay that company back. As you can imagine, I was devastated by the whole ordeal and I was out of my mind knowing my dog was lying there on the table suffering. They called the loan people and my credit was denied. I said there was nothing I could do.They continued to interrogate me while my dog cried: "Do you have anyone you could call to get money?" (at midnight?) on and on. Finally, they said they would bill me, but they would only wait until my next disability check arrived and they were going to add a charge for having to bill. (the next day when I looked at the paperwork they gave me, I realised they also charged me $45.00 to process that loan application that failed)
I was so relieved that they would finally help my suffering dog; I had been afraind that they were going to hand him back to me and say leave. It just says something bad to me when they know an animal is in terrible pain, yet will leave him suffering until they get the money stiuation worked out! St. Francis must be turning somersaults in his grave! What is a low income person supposed to do inthis situation? They allowed a dog to suffer because I didn't have money!! How compassionate it that? I cannot believe they really care about animals! They care about money FIRST!!(Plus, they had to stick my dog a few times to get the medicine in!) DON'T GO THERE!