Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

jane lyons — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 13:43:55 GMT

Actually FYI MARTIN I have now been paid in full by the client I mentioned in my earlier post .

I still agree with Richard.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:01:56 GMT

[quote user="jane lyons"]I agree Richard.[/quote]

That is not quite how your thread progresses Jane unless ultimately in an attempt to enhance your reputation you didn't press the dog's owner for payment.

It is quite a common scenario in these situations for the offending party to say they'll pay in the heat of the moment and under a wave of guilt and contrition (albeit not as common as them being aggressively in denial), but when the realisation of how much it will actually cost dawns on them they rarely stick to their offer.

If you continue to treat animals for little or nothing for the sake of your reputation the only reputation you will get is of being a soft touch that every sponger and benefit seeker in the area will home in on.

PS I can't see the problem with the insurance - surely as the other dog owner is so magnanimous they will pay her back so she doesn't have to claim.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

jane lyons — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 19:49:42 GMT

I agree Richard. Another difficult situation can be dog fights . I have just had a case where a tiny JRT was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Both dogs were on leads but the Staffie escaped from his owners grasp to attack the JRT. Luckily she survived but needed surgery to repair her skin and abdominal wall wounds . She suffered very severe generalized bruising as well as multiple deep puncture wounds Her owner feels it is up to me to seek payment for the owner of the Staffie but we have very politely but firmly told her that she will need to settle her bill with me first and claim the costs from the owner of the Staffie. She isn't happy about this . Incidentally to merge a thread..... Her dog is insured but she doesn't want to claim for the treatment in case her premiums go up.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:50:34 GMT

[quote user="Richard Carter"]

money is not everything - reputation is - treat the dog.

[/quote]If this was one of my bonded clients who always paid unquestionably I would agree with this, but this is apparently a client with a high likelihood of not paying. They are probability also the ones who bad mouth you for presenting them with a big bill so your reputation would suffer anyway.

As said you're damned if you do and damned if you don't in these situations. So having been stung several times by clients in these circumstances the money trumps the possible loss of reputation here. You may choose to make a different decision.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Richard Carter — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:40:07 GMT

money is not everything - reputation is - treat the dog.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:00:21 GMT

Under these circumstances I am afraid that I would have pointed out at the outset to the person presenting the dog that they are responsible for the bill and that indeed they will have to pay for the treatment as it goes and get it back from the owner. If they were not prepared to do so then it would get the absolute minimum treatment that any other pet whose owner couldn't pay would get.

In these cases you are damned whatever you do: if you give it sub-optimal treatment and it dies the owners will say they'd have paid anything and if you build up a huge bill, especially if it ends up dead, they probably won't pay.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 23:25:50 GMT

One of the criteria I'd rely on to judge a kennels would be whether or not pet health insurence was standard - even though my animals have their own. I wouldn't consider trusting one that economised on something so important I'd take it for granted that there were lots of other dodgy things going on as well.

Wynne

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Sammy82 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:45:21 GMT

Yes, it was pet health insurance that was optional. Professional liability insurance is a different thing and every buisness should have this as standard.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Robin Grimmer — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:31:20 GMT

I think kennels would have public liability insurance and would cover something if was their fault, eg attacked by another dog while staying there. But I don't think it would cover vet bills if the dog happened to fall ill while they were there. That's what pet insurance is for.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:07:44 GMT

Acute pancreatitis isn't an on-going condition- and my experience is kennels insurence does pay up if there's an exaccerbation of an existing condition.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't consider a kennels/cattery which didn't have insurence as standard - I'd be far too worried whar else they were economising on!

Wynne

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Sammy82 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 15:08:47 GMT

I guess some kennels offer insurance, I had the choice to pay x pounds extra per day for insurance at one of 4 catteries I put my cats into if I remember right. I just wonder how much these insurances actually pay out though, if it is connected to a pre existing condition for example.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 14:58:01 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]I bet the poor dog was left with a friend in order to avoid kennel fees![/quote]

The occasional time we have gone away and left the dogs behind, a friend or neighbour has always taken care of them. Nothing to do with money.

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]If it had been in kennels, then the kennel insurence would have covered the treatment![/quote]

That is not my experience of the local kennels. The kennels around here have an agreement that if an animal needs vet care then the kennels take the dog to the usual vet. The owner of the dog agrees to pay the bill.

Only if the kennel was somehow negligent would their insurance come into play.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 10:06:45 GMT

PS toabove. This owner has a history of whinging about veterinary bills - so is an owner who doesn't want to spend money on the dog.

Wynne

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 10:01:08 GMT

If it had been in kennels, then the kennel insurence would have covered the treatment!

Wynne

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Sammy82 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 09:23:04 GMT

Maybe the dog was left with a friend because it is much nicer for a house dog to be in a family envirement with people he knows than being stuck in a concrete cell with lots of barking dogs around him? Either way the oner needs to instruct the person looking ater the dog about what to do if the dog falls ill and leave a contact/contact of someone who they want to make decision.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 09:13:48 GMT

Make sure you point out to the person who requested the treatment that they are legally liable for the bill.

I bet the poor dog was left with a friend in order to avoid kennel fees!

B****y owners

Wynne

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Sam — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:25:20 GMT

Thank you for your reply! I thought this might be the case.

Re: Treatment of a dog while owner on holiday

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 18:31:51 GMT

You need to remember that the person who presented the dog to you, and signed the consent form, is liable for the bill. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to hold the owner responsible for costs they haven't agreed to. Difficult, I know, but we have had to explain this a couple of tomes to dog sitters. They usually manage to get hold of the owners at that point!