UGH!!! What's Your Rant?

[Stew_Matthews]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

Well, yeah, I probably am...

But I'm not completely unsympathetic.
I feel bad for the dog.


Humans? Meh. Not so much.

I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who works with animals and have always admired the work you do Vicky in taking care of them. You must be a pretty special person.

You really shouldn’t feel the need to defend vets. Fact is, very few (unlike Doctors) are driving ‘round in sports cars and living in the smart parts of town. In my experience the vast majority of them are putting money back into caring for the animals they see. I think it really is a vocation, for those who choose to work with animals. I recently got a dog and he’s the first pet I’ve had. At the vets, I bought several things like food, toys and a lead that yes, I could have bought cheaper elsewhere, but I can understand how the practice uses the profit on those items to keep the charges on medicines manageable for most customers.

The Chicago Canine Rescue, where I got my pet, explained up front what the animal might cost me. Aside from the $200 charge to them, they went through what the yearly vet treatments would be and then through the estimates of cost if my dog became ill. Having opted to take an older dog, that was an important consideration. So at least I had the information to make a judgement as to whether I could afford the financial cost in addition to the time I needed to make available to properly look after a dog.

I guess my point is that having a pet isn’t like getting a car or a house. If your financial circumstances change, just like children, partners and parents, you just wouldn’t contemplate getting rid of them. That would be heartbreaking I think, and like Sarah I would starve myself to death first (and I’ve only had my dog a week or so). It just isn’t an option for most people, and that is the point I think Sharon was making. The UK and Europe has some pretty good pet insurance schemes I understand. Maybe that’s the thing we need to see more of in the US.