I hate the times we live in.

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coloumb

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,069
0
81
I worked as an animal cruelty / control officer for a few years. I once got a call from a woman about a homeless guy with a cardboard sign at an intersection with a dog. She seemed to be outraged by this and I got the impression that she wanted me to roll up and take the guy's dog away. I went to the location, found the guy and gave him a 30# bag of dog food and a bottle of flea spray. I hope the caller saw me too.

Awesome - you bought food and supplies for both!
 

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
I walked my dog just now and I saw a guy who usually walks his dog around the time I do. This guy had the best looking dog (German Shepard mutt mix) you can imagine.

A few months ago he got laid off of work and went on unemployment. To make a long story short, his dog got sick last week and got violent diarrhea and took the animal to a vet.

Because he had no money, the vet refused to look at the dog and told the man he couldn't leave him there. He was begging in the street trying to scrape up $100 to get his dog checked out. He carried his dog home, he put him in his bed and lied down until the dog died.

I am speechless. Looking at a 60 year old man tear up for his pet made me sad as hell. :(

Just felt like ranting. Fuck this economy.
Sucks that a 60 y/o guy had no savings.
 

TehMac

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2006
9,976
3
71
i wake up every single morning wanting to take my dog for a walk...now im forced to work in some shitty job and live on some minimal pay shit.
note -if this post doesn't make sense, please disregard it. for i have been drinking some good stuff :) :(

You can afford some good stuff on "minimal pay shit?" Damn, that must suck.
 

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
202
106
do you feel the same way about human doctors?

If not, it's called ethics.

The vet could easily have made a non-hardcost evaluation and at least sent the guy home knowing he tried.

I am not expecting any doctor to extend $1000+ to anyone, man or animal.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

I know a veterinarian. She has story after story, it happens every day, of people walking in and expecting free medical care for their animals. Others, simply balk at a treatment that might cost $500-$1000 and have the animal put down. In most cases, these folks have no outward signs of hardship. They drive nice cars, the dress well, etc.

They, like many people these days, just have a sense of entitlement and look at their pets as disposable. If one costs too much to maintain, they simply get rid of it and go on to the next one.

Now, she does what she can. She currently has 3 cats (one of which is completely blind) and two dogs. All of which would have not been treated and put down.

If any vet practice started giving away free examines/treatment, no matter how slight, they would be swamped with people and would go out of business quickly.

Besides, put on your thinking cap for a minute, the OP is either inaccurate or outright false.

-KeithP
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
You have no idea what you are talking about.

I know a veterinarian. She has story after story, it happens every day, of people walking in and expecting free medical care for their animals. Others, simply balk at a treatment that might cost $500-$1000 and have the animal put down. In most cases, these folks have no outward signs of hardship. They drive nice cars, the dress well, etc.

They, like many people these days, just have a sense of entitlement and look at their pets as disposable. If one costs too much to maintain, they simply get rid of it and go on to the next one.

Now, she does what she can. She currently has 3 cats (one of which is completely blind) and two dogs. All of which would have not been treated and put down.

If any vet practice started giving away free examines/treatment, no matter how slight, they would be swamped with people and would go out of business quickly.

Besides, put on your thinking cap for a minute, the OP is either inaccurate or outright false.

-KeithP
not being willing to invest thousands of dollars into medical care for a dog means that the person has a sense of entitlement?
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
You have no idea what you are talking about.

I know a veterinarian. She has story after story, it happens every day, of people walking in and expecting free medical care for their animals. Others, simply balk at a treatment that might cost $500-$1000 and have the animal put down. In most cases, these folks have no outward signs of hardship. They drive nice cars, the dress well, etc.

They, like many people these days, just have a sense of entitlement and look at their pets as disposable. If one costs too much to maintain, they simply get rid of it and go on to the next one.

Now, she does what she can. She currently has 3 cats (one of which is completely blind) and two dogs. All of which would have not been treated and put down.

If any vet practice started giving away free examines/treatment, no matter how slight, they would be swamped with people and would go out of business quickly.

Besides, put on your thinking cap for a minute, the OP is either inaccurate or outright false.

-KeithP

likewise I am sure you have no idea what you are talking about.

Never was talking about giving away treatment for those rolling up in a Porsche or a new Ford Focus.

It's a ethics call.
 

waffleironhead

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,066
571
136
likewise I am sure you have no idea what you are talking about.

Never was talking about giving away treatment for those rolling up in a Porsche or a new Ford Focus.

It's a ethics call.

It's not really about ethics imo. There are many services out there where people can get reduced cost care for their animals. But, Vet's are under no obligation ethically or otherwise to care for your animal. That said, I'm sure there a a few out there that will work with you on a repayment schedule or drop their professional fee, but services cost money, drugs cost money, paying the vet assistants, etc. Vets are not a charity organization.

The guy should have called around till he found one willing to diagnose over the phone, or suggest so treatment options.

It sucks, but so does paying back the 150k in student loans accrued earning the degree.
 

TehMac

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2006
9,976
3
71
Either that or he's drank enough that he's thinking that cheap rot gut is good.

Here's a novel concept: living within your means. it's such a shocking concept, millions of Americans and people around the globe do it every day!

Yet the few million who don't have the mental capacity to do this have to bitch and moan and ask for government to come in and run everyone's lives for them.
 

MrColin

Platinum Member
May 21, 2003
2,403
3
81
The guy should have called around till he found one willing to diagnose over the phone, or suggest so treatment options.

You can't "diagnose over the phone" that's just asking to get sued, and how the F? "Okay sir, now if you could just plug the phone jack into your dog's ass for a minute..."

All of us (including dogs) get old and die and its usually pretty sad for those that care.
 

JimmiG

Platinum Member
Feb 24, 2005
2,024
112
106
While it's a sad story, there have been many times throughout history where the same thing might have happened, but with his son/daughter or wife instead of a pet...

I think that's pretty uncommon in developed countries and even in the USA, as even the unemployed have some kind of health care.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
126
Tell me about it, I'm out of work and COBRA is a fucking joke. We sent in our April and May premiums, Aetna is saying we don't have coverage and the COBRA plan handler says they only got our April premium even though both checks have cleared our bank. I call COBRA and they say we have coverage, I call Aetna and they say we were terminated from the plan and that we don't have coverage. Meanwhile, I'm out $1,000 and we have no coverage.

Anyone who thinks insurance companies give a flying fuck about anything other than the bottom line are out of their fucking minds. Why we let them run our entire healthcare industry is beyond me...bunch of greedy fucks.
 

grohl

Platinum Member
Jun 27, 2004
2,849
0
76
I am sorry for you guys who are out of work. Really, I am. The truth is though that as a society, we are living longer, better, and healthier than at any point in history.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
126
I am sorry for you guys who are out of work. Really, I am. The truth is though that as a society, we are living longer, better, and healthier than at any point in history.

Tell that to my wife who had to cancel a mammogram appointment earlier this week.