How much would you STEP UP?

Question

i stopped at the vets today to thank them for their help yesterday. there was a woman from FL with her little Chinese Crested Chi. he had a broken leg. she was going to euth because she didn't have the 210.00 in her pocket to pay for the leg to be fixed. another customer and all the vets employees pitched in to pay the bill. and my vet dropped the fee to 150.00.

they did this anonymously. the woman just thinks this was a "pity price break".

so how many of you have stepped up to help a dog in need (in an unplanned situation)? what were the circumstances?

if you haven't faced this type of situation yet, would you have helped if if you could?

Answer 1

WOW, you guys on here are so kind hearted

I would if i could afford to, of course i would, i know how difficult it can be, i am in a terrible financial situation at the moment, struggling to even buy food and pay the rent BUT if i could afford it and someone needed my help, i would offer

x

Answer 2

my wife handles all the animal stuff while i'm on the road. is there something i should know about?

Answer 3

yeah

Answer 4

i have picked up so many strays, gotten them fixed, got their shots and fostered them in my home because the pound wouldn't take them. i never asked for anything other than good homes for them. when the owners have come back for help, i've helped. i look at them like children. would you turn someones child away that needed help just because their parents couldn't afford it?  

Answer 5

If financially I was able to help someone cover a vets bill for treatment that they otherwise could not afford, then yes, I would have my wallet out in a heartbeat.

One of my Dobermanns, Boris, was treated at the Animal Health Trust, a specialist veterinary hospital, by the oncology team. The total bill over a three and a half year period was in excess of £10,000. The AHT does have a fund to assist people who couldn't afford to pay the full cost and it is definitely something I would be interested in supporting.

Answer 6

Yes most defiantly I would have helped.  That makes me wounder if she can afford this dog and she is here from FL. why cant she afford the care for the dog.  To me if you are going to have a dog you need to accept the responsibility for the care or have the dog taken away from you. My dog is my baby as a mater of fact my daughter who is 28yrs. old calls him her little brother and I would never just have him put to sleep over a broken leg.  Thats my opinion.

Answer 7

If I had the cash you bet I would in a heartbeat....That was so nice of all of you...

Answer 8

Well right now I have seven dogs in my yard that do not belong to me. We feed them,  worm them, give them shots, take them to the vet, clean their pens, and pet and comfort them continuously. Does that count? lol

Answer 9

I'm a rescue volunteer and have contacts with local rescue groups in surrounding states.  We got an e-mail the other day about a dog that one of the groups rescued that was abused by it's owner and just left at the rescue with the comment from his owner of "I don't care what you do with him, you can kill him for all I care," and turned around and left.  The dog had a broken leg and other medical problems.  they were going to fix his leg and get him healthy again, but it was going to cost them over $500.  I sent them a donation of $100 to help with the expense.  If I can afford to help, I usually do what I can.

Answer 10

Would I have helped?  Absolutely, without a doubt.

I've been fortunate to be able to be the one who sees when these decisions are made; treatment or euthanasia?   Sometimes it's better to let them go, but there are times when you cannot turn a blind eye and let it happen - the guilt would kill me.

I've seen clients come in, somewhat in the same situation as the one that you've described, and I've either taken the animal myself, or told them a little white lie that the bill would be less (and the staff and I would pay the majority), or that there we have a fund set up through non-profit organizations to help those in need -- which isn't a lie, but we only use this in certain situations.

Far too often I am faced with people who don't have the money, and yes, we do have to turn them away and there's me on the phone with all the clinics in our area asking if this certain person showed up... HOPING that another clinic has accepted them.  I worry so much and wish that we didn't have to turn some people away.  But then there comes the times when I can secretly do what I can, and d**n it feel good!!

Or I come home with yet another animal and my hubby says "Ooooo nooo, not ANOTHER one!"   Some people wonder why clinic-workers have so many animals, usually this is why.

Maybe this doesn't count, but I've also given money to the homeless to 'buy' their animals.  The last one was a small Husky pup; young girl in the middle of an intersection with a Squeegie and a puppy.  I gave her $60 ad she handed me over her pup.   I went to the store and came home with a puppy  :)

Answer 11

I haven't done enough. I took Bama home after he got hit by a car @ work, took him to the vet, got him healthy then found him a good home. I took my friend's dog to the vet who I was dog-sitting for a week because she had a horrible rash all on her neck and stomach. She had it for a couple of weeks before she came to stay with me. I don't know why they hadn't taken her in. I used to buy cat food for my cousin's cat because her husband said he didn't need cat food. He would throw a piece of meat out onto the patio floor once a day and that was the cat's food. He somehow "disappeared". I found 2 puppies in the middle of the road one night and spent the entire night on the phone with the vet. This was when I lived in Alabama. Now I wonder why he didn't offer to meet me at his office. Instead, he told me they probably wouldn't make it, so, instead of meeting me and putting in an iv, he told me what to mix up and spoon feed them until morning. I called every 30 minutes or so all night long. He should have just met me there! They didn't make it past 6 or 7 the next morning. A few years ago, my mom and I heard about a tenant that rented a house from my uncle leaving her dog stuck in a hog trap on my uncle's property because she was "vicious". We walked way back in the woods and saw this pure bred Husky sure enough stuck in a live hog trap that my cousins had set out. I had never used a trap, so I had no idea how to get her out of there. I got on the ground with my face against the trap. This vicious dog licked me to death. After 30 minutes or so, we figured it out and got her out of there. My mom and I pranced our happy little butts to this woman's door and told her she had 2 options; give us the dog or deal with animal control officers because we would call and tell them that this dog had been in a hog trap for 3 days with no food or water. Come to find out, the reason she went in the trap to start with was to eat the bait (rotted corn) that my cousin had put in for the hog. She gave us the dog and her AKC pedigree/registration. What a WONDERFUL dog she was. My mom had her for 7 years and had to rehome her when my mom's health started to get bad (to a great family with 10 acres fenced in and no other pets)

Had I been in the vet's office and seen that this woman was truly in need, yes, I would have donated. Had she looked as if she could have afforded it but didn't want to pay it, I probably would have still helped but she would have known how I felt about her.

Add: WOW this was long...sorry!

Answer 12

I recently donated to an online fund for a local Boxer that had been hit by a car and broke both front legs. The surgery was of course $1000.'s. I donated what I could afford and sent the link to my friends and family. If you can help and you have the means...then I feel you should.  

Answer 13

I have paid for my neighbor's cat to have surgery,I have been buying food for a family who is going through hard time - including dog and cat food. I have taken stray cats to the vet and had them spayed or neutered,and I would help more if I had the money.My dream is to win the lottery and start a fund for people who need money for vet care and food for their pets,and a spay/neuter clinic for my community. Of course,I would help people as well as animals. And yes,I would have helped with the woman's dog had I been in that position.

Answer 14

Dogs are so dear to my heart, I couldn't let something like that slip by, either.  I donate to ASPCA and the Humane Society...monthly to stop abuse to animals.  That is my comfort just knowing I'm helping with something that I feel very strong about.  

I was sitting in my garage reading a book in my low chair one early morning, by myself, after my kids (who were little then) went to school.  Literally, as I was sitting there, a male golden retriever walked up to me as if he knew I was the one to help him.  He was very tired looking, very thirsty, and well kept.  I know he was cared for, but somehow got out.  After I "loved on him"....gave him water, a bowl of my two golden retrievers "at the time" food.  I took him into my back yard where he would be safe.  I got into my care and ran to every other neighbor, spent well over an hour doing this, asking neighbors in the area who they know of that has a golden retriever.  I was knocking door to door.  I went to our local clubhouse and left a message there.  The office manager called several people.  This went on for a few hours.  WE FOUND THE OWNER!!!   She drove to my home and could bearly breathe, literally balled her eyes out, frantically!!!   She said that the gardeners left the side gate open and their baby got out.....he had probably slept in the open field near our home all night, since he was damp/wet.  

Whether it be MONEY or just EFFORT.............doesn't matter which happens in the moment of need, I assist where I can.  There are always ways to work out a nitch if we try hard enough.  

I felt so wonderful and relieved that I was able to save a dog in need, and he came right up to me that morning, as if he was actually looking "for me".  He came to the right person.  Thank God.  

Answer 15

I have done this for am old woman in the grocery store.

She hadn't much, alot of fruit. Well the clerk said its $$$$$ she started to count her money and people were getting irritated in line watching her count pennies literally..she was starting to cry. I handed the cashier $25.00. As the little lady was drying her tears, the cashier said here are your groceries putting all she had set aside in her bag. She said as she cried I haven't any money. All the groceries were paid. She said how. The cashier  was quick and said she had pushed the wrong buttons.All the people behind me had handed me money, lots and as the lady walked out the cashier ran after her and gave her the money. She cried as she got on the bus to her Old folks home. I and 2 gals in line as we walked out we cried and hugged.

No words were said as we went the same way.

Its a great feeling to help someone and then to have others also help. Gives me good God chills.

Answer 16

We took in 3 baby bunnies that had been abandoned by the mother.

4 weeks later- we released them onto a no- kill area of land.

Actually- it was my daughter that did alot of the "middle of the night" work. She was great.

Answer 17

The vet should have waived his fee altogether if the dog's life was about to be forfeited for lack of money. It is outrageous that he let his staff and customers pay 71% of his usual fee, which included profit, while he only absorbed 29%. He certainly didn't step up very much, did he? And of all of you, he is probably the one who could have best afforded to.

Answer 18

i help pets that  arnt mine every day. i always pick up strays try to find the home that they came from if i cant then i keep them for a little while until i can find them a home.

Answer 19

I absolutely would, if it looked like the woman really needed it.  If she looked like she simply didn't feel like paying for it, I still probably would have helped but, as another poster said, she would know how I felt about it.

I don't feel that I have done enough.  There's a lot of "failure" in this dog rescue world.  I'm still hoping for more "happy endings" for me.

EDIT: Uh oh....sounds like a certain rescue girl from TN is in trouuuuuble!! *wink*  Hee.

Answer 20

I asked the office manager if I could pitch in part of on old man's bill without him knowing so that he could have his cat's teeth taken care of, but the guy's daughter wouldn't let him spend any money on the cat so he never came back.  I also bought food and collars that fit (because the owners were too cheap to buy a bigger one) for animals that used to come into the clinic I used to work at.  Depending on the situation I would probably do it again.

Answer 21

I can't honestly say either way cause by the time I get my dogs taken care of at the vets, I'm usually broke..

Answer 22

If I had the money, I would definitely pitch in, to help a sick animal!