Example: Sunny’s owner has had him on the wellness plan for 2 years now and keeps up with his vaccienes and exams. She dropped Sunny off one day for a comprehensive exam, this is not an exam because the pet is sick, think of it more as a physical that is done every 6 months. The nurse upon the inspection of the skin and coat noticed that there was a hard mass under Sunny’s armpit and had the doctor look at it. The doctor told me that she wanted to do a biopsy and to call the owner and get approval. This is a somewhat costly procedure and when I first presented the idea to the owner she declined saying that she just couldn’t afford it. About 20 minutes later the owner called back and said to go ahead and do the procedure, she’d borrow the money from her mother. Upon getting the results of the biopsy it was discovered that the mass was indeed a cancerous tumor. Further tests were done and we found out that the cancer had spread deeply into several of Sunny’s organs, had it not been caught then the cancer would have taken Sunny’s life in about 6 short months. Sunny was only 2 years old and a strong energetic little guy so he hadn’t shown any effects of the cancer spreading through his body. We removed the mass and started chemotherapy treatments for Sunny. I was not there when all of this began, that was about 2 years ago, but this is how I’ve come to know about it. Sunny and his owner came in about 3 weeks after I started working at Banfield and after having battled with very widespread and vicious cancer for 2 years Sunny was still a sweet, happy, loving pet. He had a light in his eyes that I will never forget. The cancer, despite being beaten back constantly had creeped into Sunny’s lungs. He couldn’t breathe very well and you could tell he was in pain. His owner had brought him in knowing what was going to have to be done. He had fought with all of his heart for 2 years and now it was finally time to let him rest. When it was finnaly time to euthanize Sunny he wasn’t just in a room filled with doctors and nurses, he was surrounded by friends. I walked over to his owner, tears in both our eyes, and hugged her, saying that I was so terribly sorry for her loss. I will never forget the look in here eyes when she said “Don’t you ever be sorry, you gave me two more years with the love of my life, never be sorry for that.” That’s what the love of a pet is about, this woman probably spent thousands of dollars on giving Sunny just 2 more years but you can’t put a price on love.

You clients need to understand the pressures of working for a corporate vet practice. We try to do whats best for pets, but usually that goes against our money hungry corporate policy. And read your wellness plan contracts!! IVE READ TOO MANY REVIEWS THAT COMPLAIN THAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR DEAD PET PLANS. The policies are plainly stated in there. Read it yourself! It is YOUR responsibility. You are the ones signing your names to it! Take responsibility for your own actions! And stop being cheap. The wellness plan is not insurance! If your pet is sick, it is costly to get them better. But it is much less costly than human medicine. Significantly less! You just dont see it because you have insurance for yourself. Pets are not cheap. They are living breathing beings, not just cute things in a pet shop window. you are responsible for their lives when you bring one into their home, so be ready for the responsibility.

And please remember, the reason many of the techs and receptionists are grumpy or unhappy are because we are torn between the company and the clients! We also have to work in front of computers all day with no chairs. Some of us get stools to sit on but would any of you be cheerful if you sit on a hard stool for 8 hours a day, typing on a computer?? I dont think so.

We are also not allowed to turn pets away. It is not fair for you to show up at our door at 6:55pm for vaccinations if we close at 7pm. Use your common sense. We are people too and we want to go home to our families just like you. Many of us know what it is ridiculous to let people and pets come in nonstop. It is inefficient and it slows down our ability to help pets that really need help. Our corporation does not allow us to say no. So if you think its ok to just show up whenever you feel like it, remember, you might be waiting a while for your pet’s vaccinations because we might have a pet in the treatment room who cannot breathe or is in pain. And do not get mad at us if you show up late and we are annoyed because we usually have sick pets that really needs the help. Many of us understand that your pet is your baby. We have pets too. I usually sympathize with my clients. I know what its like to worry about my pets. I love them like children too. And I feel for the pets that come into the office. As much as we want to help them all, sometimes it is not possible.

SO please remember, there are two sides to every story. Your receptionist might be unhappy and some of them are genuinely bad people, but most of us are just frustrated with what we see. So when choosing your vet, keep in mind if you choose a corporation, you will be dealing with corporate rules and attitudes. Take responsibility for your own actions and finances! and keep in mind that many of us do love these pets and want to help. We really truly do! But being in a corporate environment ties our hands.

Keep up the good work Banfield!

Last Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, we took our healthy little dachshund in for minor surgery to remove well-contained tumors from her abdomen. The surgery went fine, she was doing really well.

My father arrived to pick her up and the vet wrapped a bandage around her abdomen. They wrapped it so, so, so tightly. She was so heavily sedated that there was no sign of labored breathing. THEY SUFFOCATED OUR DOG.

She died within 5-7 minutes of leaving the hospital, an otherwise healthy and spunky dog that was fine after minor surgery. My mother discovered just how tight the bandage was when she tried to feel for a heartbeat and could not even get her finger under the stretchy material.

My father brought her back after hearing her death-rattle. The Dr. Naruszewicz said he “didn’t mean to” and well, since he (my dad) was there would he like to have her cremated? You know, since they already took $900 to do the surgery what’s a little more money to dispose of the evidence?

They are monsters. Oh please someone tell us what to do. Help help