Pet owners upset after local clinic refuses to treat dying dog
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SEATTLE -- When a local man rushed his sick dog to an Auburn veterinary clinic for lifesaving treatment, he assumed the clinic would help him.
He was wrong.
Don Peters said his 9-month-old boxer, Zooey, had been stung my several bees and had gone into anaphylactic shock. He said the dog collapsed and was dying in his arms.
"It's critical. It's a very critical situation; she needed immediate attention," said veterinarian Dr. Amy Besola.
Peters rushed Zooey to the closest clinic he could find, the Auburn Veterinary Hospital, which has "emergency" signs posted all over it. While he was on his way, Peters' wife, Dr. Linda Petter, called ahead from her office warning the vets that their dog had been stung by bees.
"This is life threatening. You have minutes, you've got to intervene," Petter said.
After telling a clinic worker about her dog's problem, Petter said she was shocked to hear that vets would not be able to treat Zooey.
"She said, 'Well, no our vets are busy.' I said, 'This is an emergency, do something, help.' And she goes, 'No, I'm sorry we can't,'" Petter said.
Peters soon arrived at the clinic with the unconscious dog. He said he begged and pleaded for help, but was turned away.
By the time Peters got Zooey to her regular vet, Dr. Besola, the dog was nearly dead.
"She was laying lifeless here on the table," Besola said.
Anaphylactic shock can cause a patient's throat to swell, ultimately suffocating them. Minutes -- even seconds -- can mean life or death.
The owners of Auburn Veterinary Hospital said they had a room full of regular patients waiting and both their vets were busy. Dr. Besola said in emergency situations, most vets would shift their schedules and respond.
"I couldn't imagine not doing anything within my power to save lives," she said.
Auburn Veterinary officials also said they tried to direct Zooey's owners to another vet but that Peters and Petter were both too frantic
"I guess I was blown away by the fact that nobody seemed to really care," Peters said.
Washington State University operates the region's premiere veterinary school and teaching hospital. The hospital treats thousands of animals each year, and they don't turn emergencies away.
"Basically, anything that comes in our door, we'll at least stabilize it," said the hospital's Charlie Powell.
The law doesn't require taking in emergency cases, but Powell said most veterinary practices do. That's the policy of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
"The ethical guideline is to stabilize and at least get it to definitive care -- stabilize it for transport," Powell said.
In the end, Peters got Zooey to his own vet in time and the dog lived. The couple said they now keep emergency meds within reach in case the same thing happens again.
They're also trying to get the word out to other pet owners to talk to their vet ahead of time to know which animal hospitals will accept pets in an emergency situation.
Since the incident with Zooey, the Auburn Veterinary Hospital has made the decision to change its exterior signs to make it clear that it only takes emergencies after regular daytime hours.
He was wrong.
Don Peters said his 9-month-old boxer, Zooey, had been stung my several bees and had gone into anaphylactic shock. He said the dog collapsed and was dying in his arms.
"It's critical. It's a very critical situation; she needed immediate attention," said veterinarian Dr. Amy Besola.
Peters rushed Zooey to the closest clinic he could find, the Auburn Veterinary Hospital, which has "emergency" signs posted all over it. While he was on his way, Peters' wife, Dr. Linda Petter, called ahead from her office warning the vets that their dog had been stung by bees.
"This is life threatening. You have minutes, you've got to intervene," Petter said.
After telling a clinic worker about her dog's problem, Petter said she was shocked to hear that vets would not be able to treat Zooey.
"She said, 'Well, no our vets are busy.' I said, 'This is an emergency, do something, help.' And she goes, 'No, I'm sorry we can't,'" Petter said.
Peters soon arrived at the clinic with the unconscious dog. He said he begged and pleaded for help, but was turned away.
By the time Peters got Zooey to her regular vet, Dr. Besola, the dog was nearly dead.
"She was laying lifeless here on the table," Besola said.
Anaphylactic shock can cause a patient's throat to swell, ultimately suffocating them. Minutes -- even seconds -- can mean life or death.
The owners of Auburn Veterinary Hospital said they had a room full of regular patients waiting and both their vets were busy. Dr. Besola said in emergency situations, most vets would shift their schedules and respond.
"I couldn't imagine not doing anything within my power to save lives," she said.
Auburn Veterinary officials also said they tried to direct Zooey's owners to another vet but that Peters and Petter were both too frantic
"I guess I was blown away by the fact that nobody seemed to really care," Peters said.
Washington State University operates the region's premiere veterinary school and teaching hospital. The hospital treats thousands of animals each year, and they don't turn emergencies away.
"Basically, anything that comes in our door, we'll at least stabilize it," said the hospital's Charlie Powell.
The law doesn't require taking in emergency cases, but Powell said most veterinary practices do. That's the policy of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
"The ethical guideline is to stabilize and at least get it to definitive care -- stabilize it for transport," Powell said.
In the end, Peters got Zooey to his own vet in time and the dog lived. The couple said they now keep emergency meds within reach in case the same thing happens again.
They're also trying to get the word out to other pet owners to talk to their vet ahead of time to know which animal hospitals will accept pets in an emergency situation.
Since the incident with Zooey, the Auburn Veterinary Hospital has made the decision to change its exterior signs to make it clear that it only takes emergencies after regular daytime hours.
I always keep childrens liquid benedryl and adult benedryl capsules on hand since owning my first pet over 18 years ago. children's benedryl would have helped your pet while waiting to get him in. I knew an adult person allergic to bunnies and i happened to have benedryl which helped tremendously. His throat swelled and he became itchy fast.  It is safe to give in lesser amounts to dogs and cats google it. They probably gave you epenephrine syringes. i am sorry you had to go through this.
There are those that state this is a biased story or a skewed perspective. My opinion is that if AVH didn't give the amunition/events to discuss... there would be no story/stories.
I read through the comments and there are too many similar stories. This clinic/clinics got a history of NOT CARING about the pets, ONLY THE MONEY. That is evil, because pet owners are not expecting this type of behavior.
So I THANK KOMO for this article/warning!!!!!
Julie B wrote:Â
"Two separate vet practices share the space. The after hours emergency vet practice is not the one operating during daytime hours."
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"My dog is seen at AVH (and gets wonderful treatment.) I spoke to them about it, and one vet was in surgery and another was already in with an emergency case -- one of the four that came in that day. (KOMO knew that and didn't report it.)  Before the dog arrived [they] tried to divert the dog to another clinic where he could have been seen immediately, (and was just as close) but the dog's owner ignored their instructions."
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I wonder why KOMO, in its report, did not include the information that one of the AVH vets was in the midst of an operation and the other was already dealing with an emergent situation. Â
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Would you expect them to put the lives of two patients at risk to treat a third or would it be more reasonable to direct the third animal to another clinic that was able to take it, as was done?  Â
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I have been taking my beloved pets to AVH for more than 25 years and never had a dissatisfactory experience there. I've been in the waiting room many times when emergency patients were brought in and treated before those of us with regular appointments. More than once I've been the one with an emergency where my pet was the one who received critical care before the regular patients.
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I know the doctors to be wonderful and caring individuals who have often gone above and beyond to provide a high level of care for my own pets and I would not hesitate to recommend them to others.
@Sparrowhawk707 Even a vet tech could stabilize a dog in anaphylaxis. Put in an airway, start fluids....until the vet can come. There is no excuse for this type of treatment. I had a similar issue at another vet's office when we had an overheated bulldog that we rushed to our local emergency clinic...we ended up having to drive 40 minutes to another clinic. Fortunately the dog started to cool a bit with air conditioning and soaking in cool water on the way and was able to properly breath by the time we got to the other place...his internal temps were still 105 and he had to stay at the vets, but at least he didn't die.Â
Your experience appears to fly in the face of many other horrible experiences. People wouldn't make these up... actions speak louder than words. Or in this case Lack of Action! First do no harm has taken on new meaning here... Though untrained I would do anything to help stop suffering (physical, emotional and mental). Unlike your friends at AVH, who though trained will only treat when fully financially motivated
I also took a dog on thanksgiving to this vet that I had found that had been hit by a car. With the dog laying in my car bloody and dying I was told I would have to pay a 65.00 examination fee plus another 70.00 to put him down then 35.00 per pound to cremate him. I explained it was not my dog and I found it laying in the road. The heartless woman just told me she couldn't help me unless I paid. I asked what should I do.....she said she would give me a number to the shelter....hello lady the shelters are closed its Thanksgiving! I told her I would pay their cost to put it down I just could afford the whole cost...again she refused to help me, I began screaming and crying and told her I was going to call the local news if they didn't help me...I also told her to go ahead and call the police I have a dying bloody dog in my car and I am asking for help and they are refusing to help me and that they had a moral obligation to helping animals. Needless to say the heartless woman said the doctor would help me after I told her I was calling the news, I also paid 39.00 their cost to put the poor dog down. HORRRIBLE, HORRIBLE vet and I would never take any of my animals there....in my opinion this place should be put all over social media and the news, they are terrible people!!!!!!!
Oh put away your pitchforks. Â Hmmm... let's say you were having a massive heart attack. Â Would you:
a) Drive to your general practitioners office and demand to be seen immediately, even though you were in mortal danger AND they had an office full of patients?
or..
b) find out who treats EMERGENCIES, and go there? Like an ER perhaps??? Â Â
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Your'e condemning a vet's office because someone came in with an ER-worthy event, at a vet's office. There is a difference. Â
@DT
Most animal hospitals and clinics are capable of dealing with all types of animal emergencies. And not just animal emergency clinics. Veterinary and emergency animal medicine are not mutually exclusive of one other.
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Here is a portion of the veterinary oath: "Being admitted to the practice of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, THE RELIEF OF ANIMAL SUFFERING, the conservation of animal resources, promotion of public health and advancement of medical knowledge."
@DT The word "EMERGENCY" was all over this business... so yes there IS A DIFFERENCE! But this business was not clearly defining it until the EMERGENCY was on their doorstep. And if you read a few of these horror stories you suddenly realize it was not a one time event.Â
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Oh, and if I was having a heart attack... I'd go for D) call an ambulance... DUH!
DT , if you where having a massive heart attack, you would go emergency . If you saw the video of what happened to this dog. You would see that the vet office he went to had emergency signs all over it !!! Most any vet would take an emergency anyways. I would NEVER take an animal to that place.
Pretty weak support of the Auburn Veterinary Hospital, DT.  For the clinic to simply turn away a dog in obvious need of emergency treatment, is simply deplorable and unacceptable.  I would never refer any dog owner/adopter to that clinic based on what occurred with Linda Petter's Boxer. Â
 @DT That is what they thought they were doing - even the clinic mentioned their signs could cause confusion, which is what happened, as they are an after hours emergency clinic, but in an emergency, you see the most recognized sign and pull in just wanting help.  That being said, if I were a customer in the waiting room, I would gladly give up my spot for a dying dog in obvious distress so they could get it stabilized.
We took our dog there on a Sunday at 11am. Â He had cut his front paw a good inch across the top of it. Â I was obviously very concerned about him and checked in on him at 1:00pm and then again at 5pm because we hadn't heard back as promised. Â Not one vet had touched him, they hadn't even done blood-work by that time. They told me they'd been busy and the receptionist was obviously ticked off with me. Â I kept calling and calling and eventually they called us at 10:30pm to come and get him. Â The bill was almost $1000.00
I will never go back, I'll always call my regular vet from now on to get the on-call vet.
 @Crikey Just to help clear things up - the 'other company' Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic was in operation if you went in on a Sunday. It sounds like AAEC just rents the space from AVH, or they have some kind of agreement, but they are two separate entities. I also received terrible service from AAEC and refuse to go back under any circumstances. I've never gone to the regular hours AVH vets.
Let me get this straight... They are changing their signs to reflect they only take emergency cases "after regular daytime hours"? What in the HECK!?! So no dog ever has an emergency in the daytime?
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I'm sorry, but I don't care how long I'd been in the waiting room - if someone came in with a life/death situation, I'd gladly let them go ahead of me. Wouldn't you? What if it was YOU with YOUR dog the next time?
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This is just disgusting behavior! SHAME ON THIS PLACE!
 @Nicole Two separate vet practices share the space. The after hours emergency vet practice is not the one operating during daytime hours.Â
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My dog is seen at AVH (and gets wonderful treatment.) I spoke to them about it, and one vet was in surgery and another was already in with an emergency case -- one of the four that came in that day. (KOMO knew that and didn't report it.)  Before the dog arrived tried to divert the dog to another clinic where he could have been seen immediately, (and was just as close) but the dog's owner ignored their instructions.Â
@ Julie B - who cares if your dog gets wonderful treatment. Who cares if they share a space. What matters is that according to the American Vet society, they have a policy of helping in an emergency situation to stabilize the animal. dont you read? or are you stupid?
@Julie B. @Nicole Retired Air Traffic Controller and a Physician are both accustomed to High Stress Situations... on the phone for 10 minutes and they somehow didn't get "no emergencies", what the staff at AVH don't speak english? What only CreditCardEese?
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Surgeries are normally stable situations, it is not life threatening for a surgeon to step away for 5-10 minutes. Especially for a patient that has an airway obstruction and DYING.
THAT IS PATHETIC WHAT THEY DID TO THAT POOR DOG!!! TO ME THEY ARE JUST MONEY AND THEY HAVE THEIR REGULARS THAT THEY DRAIN MONEY FROM SO THEY COULDN'T HELP!! COME ON THE DOG ONLY NEEDED A SHOT! WHAT 5 MIN. MAYBE! EVEN WHEN YOU GO TO A REG DOCTOR AND THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY THE PATIENTS THAT ARE WAITING UNDERSTAND!!! AUBURN I WILL BE SURE TO PASS THIS INFO TO ALL MY FACE BOOK FRIENDS AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT YOU! I HOPE ONE DAY YOU OR YOUR FAMILY HAVE A CRISIS AND WHERE EVER YOU GO THEY TURN YOU AWAY!!!!
My 4 month old puppy has 2 swollen eyes this morning. I get to work and my roommate texts me a pic of her. Poor baby. I call my vet at 8:00 am (1 hour ago) and tell the receptionist what the issue it. She says "You have 2 options: Your roommate can bring her in this afternoon or he can bring her in at 9 am and we'll fit her in"Â
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THIS is what a good vet does. No, my puppy isn't dying and yet my vet makes time for us. Arlington Animal Hospital is the best! Dr. Ron is awesome!
 @Northend Is this the smae Northend who posted a day ago (below ) that has had cats die due to their own dogs attacking their cats? Perhaps you shouldn't be posting what is "right" and "wrong" for vets to do when you can't seem to care for your own pets.
Sad.
 @michele Right. Because dogs attacking cats is completely unheard of. I hope you don't own any animals because you obviously have NO CLUE on animal behavior.
 THAT'S RIGHT NORTHEND!!!@NorthendÂ
Zach and Mary, I understand the immediate reaction of outrage, and that you want to defend Zooey. The dog deserves to be treated, first and foremost. But we also need to keep in mind that the KOMO story does not tell us what the two vets on duty were doing at the time - someone had to come on to the message boards and tell us that both were treating other dogs in critical situations. Does Zooey receive priority over them? We also do not know if there were other staff members on site who were qualified to assess Zooey's condition and administer the shot. It's easy to say on a message board with the advantage of hindsight that Zooey's owner was a doctor and had diagnosed the problem, but if you are just a receptionist at a vet clinic in the heat of the moment and can't bring in any vets to get their opinions, the situation changes drastically.
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Whenever you bring your pet in for any mild affliction and say "I think this is what's wrong", he takes time to verify the symptoms. The same holds true for emergency situations - it's even more important to ensure that the situation is verified before actions are taken when it's an emergency. A random staff member is not going to be at the door with a needle held at ready for Zooey just because someone says on the phone that's what they think the dog needs. Treatment of pets would become chaotic and mortality rates would skyrocket.
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We also need to keep in mind that the pet owner works for KOMO, a fact which is not disclosed in the story. Affiliation should always be disclosed. I'm not suggesting a conspiracy, but it's certainly something to consider that her story gets told without objectivity (6 months later!) with omitted and incomplete information when all of the other stories of maltreatment in this message board were never mentioned or pursued by KOMO. I know, I was initially outraged as well, but when you step back there are factors that don't add up.
@TrappedOn405 So what you are saying is that if a person of unknown credentials posts a statement on this message board, we must take that as a fact? KOMO's interview clearly shows that Dr. Petter called the vet's office and was told "our vets are busy", but doing what, we don't know except for hearsay on this board from someone who hasn't identified themselves.Â
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Dr. Petter already had diagnosed the problem...bee stings...not broken bones, not cut arteries, not lacerations, etc.. Peters witnessed this happen and obviously conveyed this information to his doctor wife...who then called the vet's office with this simple information. Not how do perform surgery or how to pop an eyeball back into it's socket, but to administer a common shot to reduce the inevitable swelling occuring after an allergic reaction to bee stings.Â
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It was not stated in the news segment when this took place...again you are assuming someone on this message board knows the "fact". That's quite an assumption, in my opinion. That said, I would think it's fair to assume from the video, that this happened prior to our typical fall/winter weather, as bees are not active this time of the year. But what difference does it make when this happened? A puppy was stung by multiple bees, had an alergic reaction, resulting in anaphylactic shock, then was raced to a nearby vet clinic/hospital that chose to have signs with "Emergency" written on them, while a doctor phones the vet's office staff with a courtesy warning and diagnoses, and finally a dying puppy was refused any treatment at that facility. Doesn't seem to matter who Dr. Petter works for, or what time of the year it was...it all adds up to most of us in this discussion because a puppy almost neadlessly died.
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Please, let's discuss the relevant.Â
 @zach  @TrappedOn405 There is a huge difference between refusal to treat and unable to treat. The presentation of the story has apparently accomplished it's goal in getting people fired up, and if it's true that one of the AVH staff members could have administered treatment but did not, I wholly support the condemnation of AVH.
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However! Outrage and indignation is blinding everyone who's brandishing a pitchfork to the possibility that AVH didn't have staff who could handle an emergency situation when Peters and Petter were requesting it. Everyone is convinced that the waiting room was quiet and peaceful, with two vets twiddling their thumbs in the back. If this was not the case, the title of this article changes to "Pet owners upset after local clinic unable to treat dying dog".
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I'll ask again - does Zooey receive priority over any other pets who may have been in critical situations?
@TrappedOn405 So they had the diagnosis and the patient... and your saying the Veterinarians are too dumb to tell the staff what to do?
I once called my Veterinarian in Seattle because I was north of Bellingham, my dog was in immediate need and I had the medications but not the knowledge. He told me what to do over the phone and it ended happily ever after. And I have never taken a single vet tech course, only a couple cpr courses.
 @zach Regardless of the signs, these owners were on the phone with helpful information for emergency care. The signs were confusing, as it is only after hours emergency care administered by a separate company when AVH is closed.Â
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As a side note, not all  states in the US require ambulances to carry epinephrineâfor people, that is. That goes to say something about this idea that the vet could just give the dog a shot...when even people in anaphylactic shock can't just be given a shot in an ambulance.Â
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@DT Re-watch the video...Emergency signs were posted at the vet hospital that Peters took Zooey. AVH has since taken them down.
 @zach  @TrappedOn405 Disagree with Zach, and I'm just not ready to become one of the many "outrage addicted" people on these news sites.  While it would have been great if their dog had been able to be seen by the vet's office, they were given the name of another vet, but apparently were too hysterical to listen and go somewhere that the dog could be seen.  My own dog, years ago, had a bad reaction to bee stings, with his head and neck swelling up and he was wheezing, so I know how scary it is.  BUT... I agree with the comments that often vets are operating on other patients at the time, or treating something critical.  There is NO way that you can assume you can just come in and take them away from their patients.  They were given emergency info, and they chose to ignore it.Â
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As far as it being a Komo staffer. Wow. That's pretty wrong of Komo to do present this as the 'outrage du juor.' Nice way to destroy someone's vet practice. Â Every pet owner should KNOW where the nearest EMERGENCY vet is, in case of emergency.Â
So.. tell me... Â all of the people ready to shut down that vet's office: Â If you were having a heart attack, would you INSIST on being seen at your general practitioners OFFICE??? Or would you go to the ER??? Â Â
@TrappedOn405 I don't think you are helping their case.Â
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Clearly Dr. Petter was talking to someone other than, a veterinarian that was providing vital care to another pet. Bee sting. Do some research and you will find out how simple of a treatment that is. My vet's assistants perform many functions...that is why they are employed there. All the doctors I have talked to, address themselves as such, so I would presume Dr. Petter would have identified herself on the phone, especially given the circumstances.Â
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Yes you are right, we are seeing this in hindsight, but AVH was interviewed by KOMO, and had given a statement. For now we can agree to disagree and I thank you for the discussion. Nice to keep things civil as you do. Cheers!
 @zach  @TrappedOn405 That's your choice, but I think you are operating under several mistaken assumptions that a quick call would clear up. It's easy to look back in hindsight and see how things should have worked out ideally, and I don't have any problems repeating myself - how do you know other staff members were on hand who could have provided care? Do you support provision of care by *non-vets* based solely on information given over a phone call by an unconfirmed source? That's a very slippery slope. Remember, it's hindsight that lets you look back and say Petters is a medical professional - there is no way for AVH to know or confirm this during the crisis call.
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It's clear that the AVH side was not represented here after calling them.
By the way, I will spare AVH from another phone call so that they may spend their time resourcefully with patients that need immediate care.
@TrappedOn405 Perhaps you need to re-read my previous comments, I never said the two veterinatians should leave other animals in critical care. I won't repeat, but the office staff had the required information about Zooey, as given by another professional in the medical field, and could have treated her in less time than it would probably take for Peters to carry out his puppy and drive to another vet with unknown workload.Â
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As with most stories, there are often times at least two sides. Tracy Vedder used her skill in contacting all involved and some that weren't. Read or listen to what was said from the vet at WSU. Open and shut case...sorry you don't feel the same.
 @zach  @TrappedOn405 I also called AVH, and cleared up many questions I had about this story. I recommend that you call and (calmly and politely) ask to speak with with the office manager regarding the KOMO story. The information we have been presented with in this article is not complete.
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Zach, when you say that Zooey should not be turned away, you are asking that one of the two veterinarians leave the animal that they're currently with. Both vets were with animals that could not be left alone. Thus, you yourself are implying that Zooey should receive priority over them, as were Petter and Peters.
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If the other pets were there for routine checkups or in non-crisis situations, I'm sure Zooey would have been taken care of on the spot, no questions asked. But you should call AVH to ask them yourself, don't take my word for it. They will be very happy to talk to you about this.
@michele As I appreciate your congratulations, perhaps YOU should watch the video again. Tracy Vedder did interview AVH, and they made statements, although they declined to be on camera. Furthermore, I have not heard anything on this video that calls AVH heartless...just facts being reported. Neither Peters, Dr. Petter, or KOMO calls for any action to be brought upon AVH.  The report opens this matter up for discussion on this forum, and that is the way news should be presented. As someone stated on this forum, the supposed 10 minute phone discussion (of which was not reported in this news video, but by you...an unknown entity) would have been put to better use by treating the puppy.Â
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"Slanted reporting"? You called AVH for facts, but did you talk to the others involved too? Otherwise, you sound more slanted then Tracy Vedder who talked to all involved. Hmmmm.
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"Heartless" KOMO for providing pet owners/lovers a story that might save lives. Wow!!!
 @zach Congrats on watching the video, but none of the relevant information you are seeking is in that video. You saw a video made by an upset KOMO associate based in emotional testimony of what clearly was an upsetting incident. What you didn't see was what actually went on at the clinicâthat there were vets with compromised animals in their facility under their careâand a staff that tried to guide the pet owners to a place that could treat their dog immediately.Â
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I, too, was enraged when i read this story. So much so that I called to voice my  opinion at what i thought was a heartless act of ignorance. And then i spoke with the most helpful office manager at AVH who explained the circumstances, how affected the vets are that work there now that they have been lambasted without their side being heard, and i changed my tune.Â
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This clinic is working very hard to take care with all pets. They are actively helping in setting Auburn Valley Humane Society, which opens Jan. 1. These are caring people, not heartless.Â
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It is heartless for KOMO to be airing this slanted reporting.Â
How do i know that this is biased slanted reporting? I called to find out the facts.
@TrappedOn405 I watched the video again (compliments of modern technology), and cannot find anyone saying that Zooey should receive priority over any other pets who may have been in critical situations. They appear to have just wanted consideration and not be turned away while in a critical time situation. How long can you hold your breath?Â
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I believe KOMO and Tracy Vedder are doing everyone a service by presenting a horrible situation that can happen to anyone with a pet. How many of us have a doctor with apparently substantial credentials, assisting us while our pet is enroute to an animal clinic/hospital? And they were still unsuccessful. In my opinion this is a very important Public Service Announcement and kudos to KOMO for airing it.
I've read many of the comments and realize that most people find this appalling. Some defend or give reasons why this clinic may have had this reaction. My opinion is just that, my opinion.Â
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As a person who has been in this situation where the results were not as favorable, I believe this clinic should have stepped up and at the very least, stabilized Zooey. This is the response I got from other vets after my dog died, when asked what they would have done had I contacted them when my dog experience breathing problems. My regular vet refused to take care of her and referred us to the only emergency clinic at that time. They were closing in 15 minutes and this could have kept him later than 6pm. The emergency clinic was about 40 miles away. I did ask if there was anywhere else I could take her but was told this was the only place that would take her.  How I wish I had known then what I know now. My dog died in my arms 5 minutes away from the clinic.  This story brings back so many emotions and angry feelings.
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Some of you wonder why this story is being reported. For myself it is a reminder to make sure I have the emergency plan down to a science if any of my pets should get sick or injured. We don't always think about those things. Some ask why KOMO is reporting about this when they are affiliated to this Dr. I ask why not? Why shouldn't the public be aware of this and the Clinic have an eye opener to what could have been a fatal decision. How do things change if not for articles such as this? If one of you defenders were to have an experience with an establishment that was so far out of line, would you not want people to know? I realize that there are regular people at this clinic but I have to say, I was a regular at my vets until the day my dog died.Â
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I for one want to thank KOMO for bringing this type of situation to the public and alerting pet owners to the importance of preparation in an emergency situation.Â
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Think about it, what if this was you and not the Peters bringing in your dog? Would your opinion still be the same?
"Vets are in it for the money"... yes they are. It is the fees that keep their facilities open. Unlike human hospitals, there are no subsidies, no third party payees, no medicare or medicaid. It is a privilege to own a pet, not a right. Secondarily, it is common place to phone triage and in this case, the patient was given an alternative for more prompt care. This happens all the time in human medicine... you may live 5 miles from a hospital but if they are "full", you are diverted to another hospital, period. Call your doctor at 4:45 and tell them you can't breathe, they will tell you to dial 9-1-1 or go to the hospital. And the excuse that Dr. Petters husband was on the way... You want to tell me that a Doctor's husband did not have a cell phone and could have been called to redirect to their regular vet?
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I am not disagreeing that once the pet came through the door, that it should not have been at least stabilized and sent to their regular vet, but they should not be criticized for running a veterinary office and not an emergency facility... remember that this is two separate businesses.
 @Paul F. Nimmo But the office had several "emergency" signs posted outside the building. Anyone driving by every day would reasonably assume they could take their dog there during an emergency. And unless you have been in the same situation, you can't understand how a frantic dog owner, whose dog is on verge of death, will react. If I was on the way to the closest vet office, (which had emergency signs outside) with my dying dog, there is no was I would go somewhere further away. In addition, I've taken one of my dogs to my vet for emergency treatment and had no problem at all. A vet IS a business, but it's primary function is to treat animals in need. I can't imagine a responsible vet refusing to treat a dog on the verge of dying just because it wasn't an "emergency facility."
p.s. Keep in mind that the problem at the clinic could have been a deliberately obstructionist office employee. I've met more of those than I can count. If you think that is the problem, start yelling LOUDLY. Someone higher up is likely to show up in a hurry, an then you'll know where you really stand. Some vets (and human doctors) are as rigid as robots. And some are just idiots.
 @TrainChaser KOMO interviewed the owners of the business and they confirmed what happened. They didn't blame an office employee.
I worked as a vet tech for 12 years in SoCal. It was a very busy practice, but when an emergency came in, we took it right away. Bee stings, rattlesnake bites, twisted stomachs, poison, hit by car, attacked by a big dog, anything.
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Our receptionist immediately went to the people waiting and explained the situation. No, we weren't PC -- if we were going to screw up their day/plans, they had a right to know why. Then she gave the option of waiting, or they could reschedule their appointment, or (if we had room) we would take their pet in and cage it until the doctor could get to it. Very, very few people complained because they knew if it was THEIR PET, we would be doing the same thing for them.
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There is a cheap, common, over-the-counter oral med that you can use for bee stings. Call your vet and ask. Give the weight of your pet(s), they can tell you the dose. Get the liquid, write the dose w/a Sharpie on the label, tape a syringe (no needle) to it, put it where you'll remember. It doesn't replace vet care, but it can give you extra minutes if you're delayed getting the little guy to the clinic.
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ACCES in Renton by Ikea is our personal favorite.  However, we have found the best thing to do is call the emergency vet clinics before you arrive, so you can tell them what is going on, and find out if there is a wait or not.  It's hard to remember when you have an animal in acute distress, but often if they can't help you immediately, they will direct you to the next closest vet.  Just my experience. Â
I would never take my dog there. If that was my regular vet I would immediately find a new one. Because that just says if it were my dog that were having a life threatening emergency, they wouldn't be there for her and the same thing could happen to us.Â
They disgust me.
As Happy Tails wrote already - This veterinary clinic is 2 INDIVIDUAL businesses. It is an Emergency Care Clinic ONLY after established office hours are over. I do not feel it fair to the clinic that KOMO only mentioned that info at the very end of the story and only in passing - well past the time it took for readers to become irate. I have been to the clinic and while it's not my normal one, the docs know what they're doing and they do their best. One would think that in an emergency one of the docs would step out of an exam long enough to triage the dog, but if you aren't a regular client at their clinic I don't think most will. My vet would and that's one of the reasons I chose him and was willing to drive an hour to see him when we moved. So while their actions certainly feel unethical and immoral, not to mention sadly callous, I don't think anyone can say that they legally did anything wrong. We live in a monetary driven society and no one does anything out of the goodness of their hearts...unfortunately we created this ourselves and now we have to live with it. I hope that Zooey is feeling better and has a long happy life with her family :)
@everafter We will not get what we don't expect and ask for. The standards of the monetary society we live in are reinforced if we accept purely mercenary behavior as the norm. It doesn't have to be that way, in veterninary medicine as in all areas of life. The necessity of being paid for services rendered should not completely supersede the human qualities of dedication, compassion, and caring. In expressing criticism of the clinic, we are affirming the preeminent importance of caring and compassion over sheer dedication to money making.
I am very upset with the way this story was reported! Â This was not as much a news story as a witch hunt! Â I don't know all the facts, but I firmly believe that KOMO did not report all the facts they were given. The most important being the fact that there are 2 seperate businesses being run out of the facility. Â Auburn Veterinary Hospital operates during normal business hours as a regular "by appointment" veterinary clinic. Â The owners lease the building to Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic (an emergency veterinary clinic) after hours.Â
 I own Happy Tails Boarding, Inc. & have had considerable experience with both entities.  AVH is our vet of record with the county, we have used them for over 25 years with great success & happily refer to them.  I myself have had to wait well past my appointment time on several occasions while they addressed an emergency, & was happy to do so.  I know the Doctors & staff & I know they do everything possible to help EVERY animal that comes through the doors.  There is something we haven't been told... were both doctors on duty providing emergency care to others, or in surgeries that they couldn't break away from?  I don't know, do you???
 Every veterinary clinic, as well as medical clinic has someone that is unhappy with them.  That is a reality that is part of health care, be it animal or human.  Had this story been about any other clinic or physician the public outcry would be the same. How irresponsible of KOMO to help someone paint a target on a business that has done so much good for the community!  Did they bother to mention that when King County cut funding to animal control & shelter services these same doctors became instrumental in establishing a new regional animal shelter?  No they didn't, that wouldn't lend itself to the goal of defaming this business!  Thanks largely in part to this business, Auburn Valley Animal Shelter will be opening in January!Â
 The Doctors of Auburn Veterinary Hospital, as well as Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic are in my opinion, "The Best Of The Best"!!!  I have a little more experience with them & other vets than most pet owners.  I for one will continue to use & proudly recommend them.
 @Happy Tails You can be upset with the way it is reported but without knowing any additional facts yourself to say it is reported wrong you don't really have a leg to stand on. I find it a little sad that as a boarding facility your not a little more upset that regardless of laws or money a sick animal that could have died was turned away! I wouldn't go to this vet and i wouldn't go to your boarding facility knowing that you are not more concerned!
@Happy Tails I respectfully suggest that you should consider that since you admittedly "do not know all the facts," you are in no position to judge that KOMO did not give all the facts. If insufficient factual knowledge is a problem, you have stated that you have this same problem. Therefore, your judgment of KOMO may be unreliable. Also, I am wondering if you have given all the facts about your relationship with the animal clinic since you are in the animal care business as the clinic is and may be considered a business associate of the clinic? Perhaps motivation to defend the clinic regardless of facts may arise from this business connection you have with the clinic. Does your relationship with the clinic include any kind to referral commission payment to you, for example? I very much appreciate KOMO's willingness to alert the public to situations that are of great interest but will not be covered by other mainstream media for whatever reason. Thanks to KOMO! Please continue to make us aware of situations which might demand study and caution and to make this forum for information exchange available. Thanks!