Hi Guys, first off, I'm never that active on here, but I love the site, keep it up.
Ok, this past Monday I took my dog Kuma to the vet for vaccinations, microchipping and desexing. After everything had been done, they contacted me to pick him up. We are in the waiting room for at least 15 mins then get asked through to the back room where they tell us he just escaped and ran down the main road (very busy traffic area). My only focus was to get my dog back, so out the door I went with one of the staff before we split up and started searching separately. There were a few sightings not long after he escaped, but nothing concrete since then.
I haven't done any work this week and have been out night and day searching for the poor bugger. All relevant authorities have been contacted, I started a facebook post which has been received very well and widely with lots of people helping search, but no luck.
It's getting to the stage now where it appears he is either dead or stolen :(
If I get Kuma back, I won't go down this route, but I'm wondering how I would go about taking legal action against the vet. I will wait until next week before I begin any sort of action.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Seems you’re more interested in sueing the vet then you are about your pet. Did they let the dog go? Was it real negligence not just accidental? Did they still have the hide to charge you for the consult? Did they just say, oh well, sorry, dog is off the premesis, not our problem now? Do they regularly lose dogs? Have they made no attempt at any assistance or compensation? Have they refused to change their handling procedures? What made you decide to jump right to legal action? What amount of money would it take to stop your grieving and make it all better?
What lesson are you going to teach the vet by wasting your time and money and their time and money? They are probably just as gutted about the incident as you are, but legal action? In the hope of what? It won’t bring the dog back, but I guess money solves problems for lots of people. I am at a loss though, did you lose a dog or a cash cow? If they had to close up shop because of one incident and you put multiple people out of work and other pet owners without a vet, would you then feel vindicated? If they have a habit of doing this to others, then sure, go at it. But if they are a great vet, and asset to the community, your search for retribution could have an enormous effect on innocent bystanders. Would you still feel vindicated?
I lost a dog many years ago due to someone else’s negligence and stupidity. The dog was a member of the family for just on 16 years, so much more than a pet, so it was as if a child had run away. Everyone in the family was gutted. We spent weeks out looking and door knocking, flyers and ads. Put up a huge reward and it all ended in nothing. The person who caused the dog to flee was gutted. Beside themselves. Almost as torn up as anyone in the family. But the thought of sueing them was just never thought of. It was a silly set of circumstances. No negligence. No malice. Sueing them would have proved nothing and not solved anything. It wasn’t a opportunity to make money, it was a family member. Sueing the other person would have ruined their life? For what? Just so I could feel “justified” and to “teach them a lesson”.
I guess it’s nice that you are giving them a week before you seek legal action though… char ching!
PS: neg away, as I don’t care. This kind of jump straight to legal action need for vindication over the loss of anything, human or animal is sickening. It dehumanises the whole situation. If there was no negligence and was simply an accident from poor procedures, what would sueing a vet into the ground do for you or anyone else other than for your own satisfaction. “Teach them a lesson” if they need to be taught a lesson, you needed to have changed vets years ago.