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It's no secret that in Quebec, we sometimes pay very high prices when our pets' lives are at stake.
Whenever an organization takes in a medical case, a question always comes up in different forms:
"Why doesn't the vet treat the pet for free?"
"Why didn't the vet help the family keep their pet?"
"Why won't the vet help you save the pet?"
The truth, that few people seem to be aware of, is...
- Many vets are employees who have no choice but to abide by the clinic's prices.
- The veterinarian is not alone - he or she is accompanied by a whole team that serves you throughout your visit, and the clinic has to pay the rent, the bills, the equipment, and everything else.
- Animal hospitals charge much less than human hospitals (but you have insurance - why doesn't your pet?).
- Many veterinary clinics call on organizations like ours to avoid euthanasia for their patients.
- There are veterinarians who volunteer and help save animals by providing care or making donations.
Vets who help organizations save animals do not necessarily want this to be known, to avoid being continuously solicited afterwards. But just because we don't necessarily talk about them doesn't mean they haven't done something to help us.
There are even veterinarians who adopt and foster animals from organizations, and very often offer to contribute to their care! 😉
You also have to understand that this field is extremely difficult for mental health, and has a high suicide rate... If you think that euthanizing an animal or letting a patient go without proper care doesn't affect them, you're very wrong.
The people who work in animal health are very valuable; whether veterinarians, technicians, animal handlers, or any other team members. They deserve our respect.
Let's stop blaming those who save lives, and start taking responsibility for ourselves by taking out insurance for our pets, saving up for their care, and adopting responsibly.