When Did Vet Care Stop Being About The Animals?

I sat in a little room away from all the other clients at the Munford Animal Hospital and listened as a kid in a white lab coat, about the age of my own son, explained the policy of the hospital by using some unfortunate words:

"We believe in our policy of testing yearly, no matter what. We are willing to lose a sales, before we will compromise."

My expression must have shown my surprise because he continued to explain. "After all, I am aware that you could simply take your business elsewhere."

What I wanted to say was that I didn't realize that my beloved animals were simply a sales to this hospital.

You see, my animals are rescue animals. They came to me with heartworms. I faithfully give them there necessary medicine, because my sister went through the dangerous heartworm treatment only to have her dog die from the medicine.

I have just started a new job and money is so tight that it was difficult to find 50.00 to buy a 3 month supply of the medicine. When the vet said he wouldn't even sell me 3 months worth without the tests, that made no sense. It was like withholding insulin from a diabetic. The doctor knows that without the heartworm meds my dogs will die, but refused to sell them to me until I got the updated tests--even though I can't afford those tests at the moment.

I remember the old days, back in the 1070s when we could take the dogs to the vet and make payments for their treatment. Sometimes it might be only 20.00 or 30.00 a month, but we made sure the vet got paid. Just as important, dogs and cats weren't turned away because their owners fell on hard times.

Remember that charming old book by James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful? How would Herriot and his vet friends have handled things today?