Can't Pay for Vet Bills`

[ChocoLab]

I just bought a beautiful seven week old chocolate lab puppy 5 days ago....(7weeks old) 16 hours after i bought him from a breeder in upstate NY my little guy started throwing up and having diarrhea... I brought him to the vet, long story short, he had a intestinal intessection... He had 30ft of his intestine removed... If he came home today the bill would be $2500.... ARE YOU KIIDING ME@!!!!@#@!$ I love animals, he's my 3 dog, and i know i only had him 16 hours, but i'm so attached.... I'm ready to give him up and just suffer the consequences of a collection agency, i just don't have the money... Any suggestions.... ( p.s. the breeder is a real ass, he obviously doesn't care about the dog)

[Belles]

Breeders don't necessarily carry liability insurance.. trust me, I know this from experience.

[Laura Lynch]

Report him to NY STate Agriculture and Markets. He needs to be stopped.

[Bullies2Love]

When my King got hit by a car I took him to the ER in which right there was $500 and then I moved him to my regular Vet another problem surfaced long story but he knew Kings injuries were going to cost boogo bucks and lowered his bill. We ended up sending King to a special surgeon to fix his leg and shoulder. That bill was $5,000.

All this happened two weeks before Christmas. We gave up Christmas that year to help the dog and we worked with the Vet to pay for Kings bill. They know you don't have this kind of money. What you need to do is give him a realistic payment plan. If you love this dog, you will even go as far as taking a second job for a while to pay off or even sell something to pay for the bill. After we finished paying off Kings bill I had another dog that ended up being sick and costing me $5,000 again. He was hospitalized for several weeks. It was just none stop with animals being in the vet. The last one cost me close to $3000.00. Within a 5 year period I paid over $13,000 on my dogs.

As long as you are in good standing with your Dr. there should be no reason why he won't do payment plans. No one has money stacking up in the bank these days. We can thank other people for that. LOL!

[Darrell]

So as I understand this situation now, it's $3000 versus your new dog's life. If you can come up with the money or have debt forgiven, the puppy lives. If the legal system is needed to get the money, the puppy dies so that insurance will foot the bill. That's the bottom line, right?

Since you have stated that you are attached to the puppy, let's just concern ourselves with solutions in which the puppy lives. First, you need to understand that vets are often negotiable -- especially when the price tag for treatment starts to balloon. I have on occassion bargained down some of the expenses for my dogs (usually done in advance of treatment). Keep in mind all the vet has in his hands for collateral is your puppy. If you inform him that there is no way you can come up with $3000, he might lower the price tag.

If he lowers the price tag to accomodate your difficulty, you have a negotiation underway. Next go for a payment plan of so much per week or so much per month. He most likely will agree to anything under a year or two for payback because his only recourse is to take you to court for settlement; and the settlement would most likely be a payback plan with up to five years for completion.

After you have finalized the payback bill and its rate, look at your budget and determine what you need to make up the difference. If you pay back $3000 in two years, that's $28.84 per week. Assuming you can't afford that much out of your budget, you should never have bought the dog in the first place because you can't afford one. Nevertheless, a few hours of minimum wage work flipping burgers or washing dishes would meet your needs. Even if you opt for a bank loan, you will have to pay it back (with interest).

If none of this is acceptable to you, then you probably don't really love the puppy like you say. Over my last dog's lifetime, I had to spend over $18,000 on vet bills. Snerty had lots of skin tumor surgeries, plus some other issues. I couldn't afford the bills either; and the price I showed was the after negotiation value. But when you truely love an animal, it's family. If you are like me, family always comes first. A way will be found.

So I say good luck to the puppy. I hope the people that will directly affect whether it lives or dies over a lousey three grand end up doing the right thing. And if somehow you end up with the puppy, get pet insurance!

[Darrell]

perhaps, but mine never did. (I have over a 25 year history with him) And keep in mind that this was the same guy that took 5 xrays for the price of one when Snerty was dying of a mysterious problem that no one could figure out (but I ended up finding on my own).

Mystery problems are the worst kind. Vets just start runing test after test, and the bill excalates quickly. And more often than not, the vet doesn't find the problem in time. True for both my TINY and my SNERTY.

[Bullies2Love]

Chipin is another way to collect some donations.

[bams481]

darrell, i dont understand why u are being so rude to her. maybe she made a mistake by getting the puppy but we are where we are. she is asking for adivce of how to fix the situation. not all vets will do a pymt plan so she needs to ask bout that first.

[Darrell]

no intent to be rude .. just trying to get to the heart of the issue.

[Bobbie]

Ask breeder to foot bill. If rejected, time 4 puppy mill bust. Vet will work with U, If not take the hit on FICO credit score or call Debt solutions or any connected with Better business bureau they will resolve amicably. U saved his life and there are ways to resolve. Bust will confinscate as well as jail breeder etc, loss of income, banned, Small price to pay then go after him anyway for investigation. Do the math and then get bust anyway. No bankruptsey with econmic resolution in finalcial mattters has changed drastically in your favor and all consumer affairs. Do your homework, U will come out on top. Play Hardball and get what U want. Bobbie U dont need lawyers.

[ChocoLab]

I thank everyone for their replies, the puppy is home, but i still need to find the money to pay the vet, any little bit will help
http://wyattssurgery.chipin.com/wyatts-surgery-fund

[Bobbie]

U have ways here showing U HOW to pay the bill. We are alll weary of funding sites and U can Pay yourself by going to a debt soulution agency who will make all arrangements and pay small amounts monthly with little to no interest while keeping your credit availabe and U still using cards U wish to pay as usual. During these economic times 70 percent of the USA is only paying the mininum on there cards monthly and many are having difficulty even doing this. It is in your favor to seek out these services who negotiate, pay bills and free up your monthly cash flow. Your credit will stay intact but U have to make the effort to help yourself, Its not going to rain pennies from heaven. The credit agencys know how they hijacked the American people so revisions to protect U and straighten out there high interest etc is in federal affect as well as all are being held accountable. Then go after the Breeder and have them busted ASAP before more who most likly are very ill , die. This issue will be resolved by your dillegence and hard work. Lots of help also, with the info U have been given. I see though U are asking for donations . Was this the reason for your discussion initally? Sorry, but it is not going to happen. You have to do what we all do to keep our heads above water by using our heads logically. I know this works as have helped many friends, jobless, homeless, electricity cut off etc. Good luck. It works. Now please Help yourself with the tools provided. Bobbie

[bams481]

im getting onto darrell for being rude but now i am about to b. i agree with bobbi. u automatically ask for a hand out with no effort to help yourself. there have been ideas given to u, now use them. do not depend on us to pay ur vet bill