CLINIC STORIES
ROADY
At
12:30 am, on the 24th of November, 1999, Laurie Hansen of Surrey, found a cat
that was lying in the middle of the road in Vancouver, hit by a car. She took the cat to a 24 hour emergency vet
clinic, and because he survived the night, and he was a stray, he was transferred to the
SPCA clinic in Vancouver.
Laurie
loves cats, and because she felt connected to this one, she visited him in the clinic
regularly, coming all the way from Surrey. She
called him Roady.
At
the clinic she overheard conversations among the staff about how many unclaimed strays are
killed, so she told them that if no one claimed Roady, she would adopt him, rather than
have him killed.
Laurie
has a disease which causes non-malignant tumours in her brain and every few years she has
to undergo brain surgery to remove as much as the growth as possible. Consequently, Laurie is on a disability pension,
a very small disability pension.
Laurie
tried to find Roadys owners, and when they couldnt be found, Laurie applied to
adopt him.
The adoption fee for anyone else would be $95.00, but the clinic insisted
that because Laurie had brought Roady in, she would have to pay the full bill, just as
though she was Roadys owner. And even
though Laurie had her vet in Surrey phone the clinic to confirm that Laurie wasnt
the owner of Roady, they refused to budge. It
looked to Laurie that they would rather risk killing Roady, than let her have him for the
regular adoption fee.
Laurie
was told the bill totaled $1000 (a pretty high bill considering there was no surgery). When Laurie explained her financial position, the
clinic offered her Roady for half price. Laurie
got the $500 together and took Roady home.
Two
weeks later, only after Lauries insistence, the clinic sent Laurie a breakdown of
Roadys bill. It showed a total of
$743.56, not $1000.00, so Laurie paid 2/3rds of a bill she should never have had to pay at
all.
When
Laurie objected to having paid $500, she was told she could surrender Roady to the SPCA
and get half her money back. Roadys
chances of being adopted and not euthanized at the SPCA were very slim. In fact, their
offer was an almost certain death sentence for Roady.
When
Laurie told all this to Animal Advocates, we contacted Pets in Need and Pacific Animal
Foundation and between us, we gave Laurie back her $500.00.
(AAS, along with many other truly humane organizations, has helped to pay the
bills for animals owned by needy people, after the SPCA has told them to call us. And we have been told countless stories just like
the one above.
From a former employee of the Vancouver SPCA
Clinic:
August 20/01
Dear Animal Advocates,
I remember hearing about Michael Weeks (CEO Vancouver
Regional SPCA before Douglas Hooper) and other upstairs staff and how their salaries etc.
were always hushed up. Dr. Dear and others were all too happy to get rid of me and my
complaints. It seems that no matter what happens, that group manages to discredit the
complainer. I can tell you about a little white kitten who came in scared to death.
He was treated for ringworm and other kitten ailments and was just starting to lose that
pinched look when the dayshift decided his time was up. We arrived for our night shift and
no "Leroy". They wouldn't even give us the chance to take him home . If he had
been a Persian cat or a small dog that would have been different. If I give some thought
to those years I'm sure I can come up with more examples of the abuse animals suffered and
the way donors have been hoodwinked. People still don't want to believe me when I tell
them of the benefits vets and techs enjoy in comparison with private clinics.
I was at the SPCA clinic some 11 or 12 years ago and my
opinion of the majority of the staff is not printable. My complaints to Dr. Dear were
mainly about the isolation ward and the condition it and the animals were in. Dirty, unfed
and unmedicated, resulting in numerous deaths. Vets and technicians left dogs and cats in
cages undiagnosed and untreated. Animals were often left in dirty cages without bedding,
proper food and water. Some things would change (after numerous complaints) but not for
long, and as much as I came to dislike those who mistreated animals I came to dislike the
staff at the SPCA more. Because they are union they seem to feel their jobs will always be
safe. The executive and board members have always been overpaid in and have treated
themselves extremely well on donated money in my opinion. I see Jamie Lawson on the
news speaking on behalf of the BC SPCA. Apparently he got a raise and a promotion over the
Hooper scandal. Also I am told they are busy spending large amounts of money remodeling
their offices. Keep the good work up.
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