Dear Editor,
Re Dr. Rollin’s comment on the “convenience euthanasia” in a recent issue of The CVJ (Can Vet J 2012;53:591). Normally, Dr. Rollin’s comments are measured and thoughtful, and I enjoy reading them. I’m guessing Dr. Rollin has never owned a veterinary clinic and never had staff, bills, clients, and taxes to worry about. It’s easy to say “there are no major expenditures involved” when you’re not the one paying them.
Unfortunately, my staff wish to be paid at the end of EVERY month, not “over time” nor have a “deferred” paycheque. As for bartering? After his first tax audit, Dr. Rollin will be far less accommodating, and as I was reminded the other day — the phone company doesn’t take chickens. Where, exactly, will I get the money to pay the plumber who just replaced our hot water heater, if not from my clients?
Our community reputation will hardly be enhanced by our clinic paying our bills late or not at all, nor by inviting everyone who perceives the “other guy” as charging too much to come on down for half priced, pay later, cut rate service for their pets.
Dr. Rollin also does a disservice to both this family and this pet. Has he considered the longer term than this tooth? If we agree to do this service for less than it costs, what happens in a few years when this dog becomes diabetic or develops cancer? What happens when this family decides that it can afford another pet (as we will “work with them”) but balks at paying for spaying and vaccinating it, preferring to wait until it gets ill and they can access our cheap service?
The original question “Is this a convenience euthanasia?” still stands, and I challenge Dr. Rollin to answer it, rather than impugning the reputation of every hard-working veterinarian in Canada with comments such as we “don’t care enough about animals.”