Putting a price tag on love

By For the Saanich News

Patrickâ ¨Blennerhassett
Aug 31 2005
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How much would you pay for your precious family pet to live out his natural life? Would you cut off your pinkie toe? Would you give up eating chocolate for five years?
How about a month's wages? How about two months?
How about $7,200?
For Steven Morgan, that's the amount needed to keep Doobie, his beloved black Lab-cross from succumbing to serious knee and hip problems.
The problem is Morgan doesn't have $7,200 floating around in a shoe box in his closet. Currently on disability pension living in a subsidized housing complex in Saanich, Morgan has already had to look for alternatives to the surgery required on Doobie's back hips and a hind knee.
"Last winter, I noticed she was tucking her leg in when she walked," said Morgan of his five-and-a-half year old dog. "And she would whimper a bit after a long walk. Basically her hip joints aren't even in the sockets and her back knee is blown."
Morgan has looked into possible gold bead implantations for Doobie. They're much cheaper and would decrease her pain, but do nothing to actually solve her health problems.
"They said she's got two years tops if she doesn't get the surgery," said Morgan. "They'll have to put her down."
But Doobie, who Morgan describes as a "protective, good dog who rarely barks," has been through some tough times already. She had a battle with parvo a few years back - a virus known to kill dogs and cattle - and she has arthritis.
So Morgan has created flyers and posters, with the help of friends, and raised some funds. But they're still a long ways away from their goal.
Morgan's landlord, Chris Schmidt, said this is the last person who deserves to have something like this happen to.
"Steve and Doobie are probably two of my best tenants," said Schmidt, who is also a downtown housing outreach worker for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
"This is also one of the few pet-friendly places for them to live."
The Pet Conundrum

The issue of paying hefty medical bills for the family pet is something veterinarians deal with quite frequently, said Gorge Veterinary Clinic office manager Shaunna Barr.
"This is something that happens on a weekly basis," she said. "People will come in to find out the costs and realize that it's just too much."
Barr said the Gorge clinic will try to work with pet owners in each individual situation. She said they usually refer the owner to the Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders, a non-profit charitable organization.
Completely supported by donations and staffed by volunteers, the GVAC's main mandate is to help with the spaying and neutering of cats and dogs. The Crusaders also help low-income families pay for medically related pet needs.
Another solution, from the ounce of prevention department, is pet insurance. It usually involves a monthly fee that can cover many of your pets future medical expenses.
"If people really care about their pets they should really look into this and put some money away in a sock for things like this," said Barr.
From a veterinarian's perspective, Dr. Philip Stacey of the Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital said situations like Doobie's are things animal lovers deal with on a regular basis.
"From time to time, we encounter situations where the person can't afford to finance the surgery or whatever is needed for their pet," said Stacey. "We always work with them to try and find the best possible alternative."
Unlike health care for humans, veterinary care is a pay-as-you-go system, he said. "Some of the time, people do find a way that their finances can allow, but we can only offer limited help in some situations."
As for Doobie - who looks like a million bucks as Morgan scratches her behind the ear, causing her leg to twitch - all the money in the world couldn't separate these two companions from each other. But it seems like money might be the very thing that rips this dog and her owner apart.
Donate to Doobie

To donate to help pay Doobie's medical bill, call the Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital at 658-5922.
Also check out www.vetinsurance.com and the Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders at www.members.shaw.ca/gvac/index.htm.