Vet Puts Down Dogs for Non-Payment?

In Lehigh Acres, Florida a vet recently decided to kill two dogs because their owners could not afford to pay their $2,000 boarding bill. The rumored story is that the only reason why the animal hospital had not been paid yet was because the family had a very sick little girl that they were trying to take care of. The Lehigh Acres Animal Hospital was promised money immediately because donations were being collected on the families behalf. An animal rescue group even told them they would help pay the bill, but they had to wait one day for it. Lehigh Acres Animal Hospital went ahead and killed the two dogs. Even more astonishing is that the Lehigh Acres Animal Hospital continued to take donations to keep the dogs alive even after the vet had already euthanized them. Should a vet be allowed to kill dogs for non-payment?

Many people feel strongly that they should not be. Protesters showed up outside of the Lehigh Acres Animal Hospital, and there are talks that the animal rescue group is actually going to sue the hospital. I, for one, can understand the frustration that is coming from people who were trying to help this family and these two very special dogs. Yes, the vet should have been paid, but killing two healthy dogs seems like such a tragedy. Why could the vet not have waited just one more day to be paid? That seems extremely petty and heartless to me.

I do not think that vets have a right to kill pets for non-payment. They should have called animal control, and at least have given these two dogs a chance to survive. Why did they not contact animal rescue agencies to try to place these dogs? It seems unfathomable that this vet would make such a choice like this one. To put down a completely healthy animal for any reason seems just wrong to me, let alone two of them.

I cannot help but wonder how the state board is going to view this. Do not vets take an oath? Should they not actually care even a tiny bit about the animals that are in their care? It seems like no real thought was taken to make sure that these dogs were able to be kept alive. Life should be valued, especially by those that have someone loving them. This seems like a senseless tragedy, and my heart truly goes out to the family involved in this situation. In my opinion, vets should not be allowed to put down animals for non-payment.

Source:
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2010-08-20/Angry-protesters-camp-outside-Lehigh-animal-hospital