*update* Dogs die March 7th

A friend of mine works for a vet and this has happened there. Some vets get very greedy and will not adopt an animal out if they aren't reimbursed for boarding/feeding/taking care of the animals. My old cat was dropped off to be euthanized at a vet office. The owners paid for the cat to be put down and the vet accepted the money. They didn't put her down though - they kept her to see if they could adopt her out instead. There was a $250 adoption fee. So, not only did the vet receive $ for putting the cat down (which they didn't do) but they wanted money to adopt it out as well.  

If I were you, I wouldn't wait until the 7th. Give it a few more days then go to the press. With all of the media hype on dogs being mistreated in MI these days the media will be all over it. 

As stated in a earlier post....contact the press, AC, any animal rights  org you might have near by. Or what about some Vetrenarian Association or something, I cant imagine them supporting this!

I would send him a email first and say "I'm sorry it has to be this way but your killing two dogs for no reason" Tell him in advance who you are going to contact and if he thinks its worth losing his business reputation over then fine. He cant get you for slander because you have proof in the emails and witness's who will back you up. I know it would really have to stink to push him like that but at this point its really your only option.

Maybe someone in the rescue has a direct contact with someone in media.  Often its easier to get someone to pick up a story if you "know" someone. 

I don't think anyone other than the owner should be expected to pay that ransom, either.  If he needs to recoup costs, he knows where to go.  He is the one creating the deadline that has everyone scrambling to save the dogs' lives.  What makes him think those two dogs are any more desperate than the thousands of others sitting in pounds nearby?  I think it's despicable to threaten to kill them and demand a high payback.

Jewlieee

They didn't put her down though - they kept her to see if they could adopt her out instead. There was a $250 adoption fee. So, not only did the vet receive $ for putting the cat down (which they didn't do) but they wanted money to adopt it out as well.  

That's really disgusting!  I guess we all have preconcieved ideas of what type of person would be a vet, and someone who would do that doesn't fit my mental image. I worked for a pedodontist (children's dentist) for awhile and he was another one who surprised me in a very negative way. It landed him in prison, so at least he got his due justice. Hopefully, creeps like this will too

I would write a letter to the press. Legally  - the dogs are HIS and he can do as he pleases with them. The abandonment period down here is 10 days, so 3 months is quite some time to hold on to these dogs...

Going after his lisense wont do anything, I'm afraid. What he is doing is not outside of the law.

Contact the local newspapers and tv stations - see if anyone can help. In all fairness, the adoption fee he is asking is probably less than it has cost him to care for these two large dogs. I'm not saying what he is doing is right.... but technically - he's done nothing wrong.

 I think there is a legal process that one must follow to dispose of abandoned property and it doesn't seem like he's done it.  Isn't that what those storage facilities have to do?  I sat in small claims court one day and along with the bounced check people, there were storage facility people there looking for a finding from the judge that it was abandoned property and then freeing them to go ahead and hold those auctions.  I'd threaten him with everything you can think of to delay the death of these dogs and maybe it would cause enough uproar that he'd be happy to get rid of them to rescue.  I'd contact the county attorney about it, threaten the press coverage, and threaten filing a complaint with the state veterinary board.  Maybe call the state vet's office also to find out if there are rules/regulations about that too.

***, what a jerk!  He could just take them to a shelter, he's trying to emotionally blackmail someone into paying him some money, otherwise he wouldn't have posted to the list that he has and if he REALLY didn't want to euth them, he'd turn them over to rescue.

Yeah, jerk.  First class. 

Aina

I would threaten to contact the press about it.  I would not go to a vet that did something like that, and I am sure there are others who feel the same.  Maybe loss of business would make him reconsider his decision.

I wouldn't threaten!  I would just DO IT.  He would have to release the dogs to save face.  And his clients should know the kind of "person" they are giving their money to - someone they believe cares about their pets and wants the best for them....

Have we gotten any news or updates on this? I've been thinking about it all weekend.

The local all-breed rescue is full.  I have not heard back from the vet so I contacted the MIGSD rescue to see if they had more information.... 

I heard back from the MIGSD rescue.  The president received a response from the Dr. C who is female, lol.  It sounds as though she is working under another vet and that vet is the one who wants them gone?  I'm not sure because my inquiry was never responded to even though people are willing to donate the money.  I cannot post the response for legal reasons, but there's really no other worthwhile information besides the fact that they are adamant on recouping costs.  People are getting defensive and snippy on both sides and again, the dogs will pay.  It's nice they kept them for so long, but they should have been turned over a LONG time ago, then all these "costs" would not have incurred and the breed rescues who have huge networks would have found them homes two months ago.  If you make a conscious decision to board an animal like a foster, then you cannot turn around and complain about all the cost and time involved.  There are dozens of volunteers who would have taken the dogs no questions asked.

*shrugs* 

Can you send me a PM or email with info that I can post about this to the rescue group that I'm in? Many of the people that are in my aussie rescue group are also part of a state wide all breed rescue and maybe can make something happen. Some rescue groups do have money and may be able to pay the fee for these dogs..... 

It depends on how long the legal process is for when the dogs are legally theirs. The abandonent period may well be 3 months, and that's how long they had to keep them before moving them. The vet probably boarded them, not as a foster situation, excepting the owners to reclaim what was theirs. Vets don't opperate for free, and contrary to what may be believable, they do not make a ton of money. It's a really sad situation for the dogs, and I doubt the vets are taking it lightly. Caring for two dogs, for that long, probably cost them a lot more than they were asking for as the adoption fee.

It's not the 7th yet, hopefully someone can get these guys.

erica1989

It depends on how long the legal process is for when the dogs are legally theirs. The abandonent period may well be 3 months, and that's how long they had to keep them before moving them. The vet probably boarded them, not as a foster situation, excepting the owners to reclaim what was theirs. Vets don't opperate for free, and contrary to what may be believable, they do not make a ton of money. It's a really sad situation for the dogs, and I doubt the vets are taking it lightly. Caring for two dogs, for that long, probably cost them a lot more than they were asking for as the adoption fee.

It's not the 7th yet, hopefully someone can get these guys.

Right, but how does threatening to euth them on the 7th if no one buys them do any good?  Euthanizing and disposing the dogs will cost them MORE money.  If no one is going to buy them, then why not surrender them?  I couldn't pick them up until the 7th anyway.

They are asking for 1/10 of their cost.  Honestly, I do not find the cost unreasonable at all, just the fact that when they were originally posted MONTHS ago, no one ever responded to any of our inquiries.  Now, they are complaining of all the costs incurred since then.  I could have gone and picked them up two months ago and saved them a few thousand bucks.
 

I don't understand WHY they are doing what they are doing, but I can only understand where they are coming from - to an extent.

Maybe the shelters wont take them. I know ours is very careful when taking "abandoned" animals from vets offices - sometimes they really aren't abandoned....And you did say the rescue was full. I don't know many people up in Michigan... I wish I could do more to help.