By Hugh Cartwright
I gently lay our dog Barker, stiff and cold, in the trench; my five-year-old daughter spreads bluebells over his body.
I cover him with a blanket, then shovel back the soil.
His struggle is over; mine continues. I return to the veterinary hospital to ask them to delay my final payment, our savings exhausted by diagnostic tests, X-rays, treatments, Barker’s long year of pain.
Embarrassed by needing to make my request, I look away and notice a new picture on the wall. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” says the receptionist. “It’s his.”
How nice. A yacht. Purchased with the help of sick puppies.
V. ery
E. xtortionately
T. rue
Painful to read and yet very beautiful. It’s almost six years since our dog was put to sleep because she had cancer so I really relate!
So sad to lose a dog, but we can’t watch them suffer.
Veterinary bills bring home to us (in the UK) how expensive our own medical treatment must be if we were paying for it directly. Our dogs are insured, but that isn’t cheap either. It’s payback for the love they give us.
Ouch. But very believable.
The story is partly based on fact. We had three cats, all now occupying a corner of the garden. Our vet did indeed own a (modest) yacht, and had a photograph of it on his surgery wall. It felt as though there was a 10% vacation charge added to each bill, though in reality his prices were no higher than other local vets.
Sadly a very true tale. Our vets eyes had pound signs in when we told her our cat was insured. £3000 later they found nothing, and the cat recovered.
Great story. Hops it makes a few vets feel guilty.
Veterinarians have an extremely high suicide rate. Most of them love and want to help their animal patients, and have to constantly grapple with the ethical tug-of-war between providing best care and owner-affordable care. I understand the frustration of this, but one of my best friends is a vet and is very open about the struggles of providing vet care. She writes often for veterinary journals about helping patients’ owners navigate their options for their pet and what each treatment is likely to cost,
My heart aches for everybody here.
Love the story! Very heartbreaking.
I think ‘my’ doctors own few homes and swimming pools too!
We know the value of our 4 legged children!