veterinary responsibility

[lorna]

As a practicing veterinarian I am endlessly frustrated with my professions' reluctance to speak out again wholesale dog breeding. I believe a campaign to educate(yes, many are unaware) veterinarians AND create a level of confidence in them to report sick animals to proper authorities would be helpful. Vets can put the fear of god into retail pet shops, locally and into the "breeders" IF we put our minds to it.

[allison]

I'm part of a group that protests a pet store and we are trying to rally vets in the area to do something. I' would very much like to better understand their reluctance to take on this issue.

One issue our group faces is that people who buy sick puppies at stores don't know what to do and perhaps the vets don't even know what to tell them other than call the store or return the puppy. Our group is in the process of creating a complaint type form that we will be asking vets to distirubute to their clients. We've learned that you have to make it very easy for customers to report complaints and we find so much reluctance from the puppy purchasers as well to do anything. We can't understand it but we're fortunate to have a group and I encourage every community to find some advocates to form a group - protest a store and get the word out. It's the only way I see to make a difference locally.

[lorna]

Hi Allison,
I agree, it must be VERY easy for clients to report. Also VERY easy for vets to report.
I have a few things I ask my clients to do......most don't do them but the ones that do ALWAYS get their money back, vet bills paid AND get to keep their pup!! I believe if we did this endlessly pet shops would begin to notice.

1)I recommend they fill out the form to make a "consumer" report to the state Attorney General's office. I hand them the form, it is online in our state.

2)One of our local TV consumer reporters wants to hear about these cases so I give the client her direct email. ANONE who has gone back to the petshop and threatened to contact her has gotten their money back!!!

3) I report the illness and ask the owner to report the illness to our state bureau of animal health. I give them the phone number.
A faxable form to the BAH would help vets a lot. I have suggested it to our state officials and they are considering it!!! INTERNET sales are much more difficult but the same process should be followed.
Any new ideas are always welcome!!!

[allison]

what state are you in?

[lorna]

allison, I missed this question before!! Sorry. I am in MA.

[Bob Baker]

Thanks for your interest and courage in advising your clients to report these illnesses to the Bureau of Health and to a reporter. If more veterinarians would do this there would be enough complaints on file to help the authorities take action against these pet stores who deal with puppy mill puppies. Many years ago a committee in the California legislature contacted veterinarians across the state asking if they had instances of treating sick animals from pet stores. Due to the large number of responses the legislature was able to pass several laws regulating pet stores and the resultant publicity forced the largest pet store chain in the country to close all 18 of their stores in California. Complaints from veterinarians is so important in addressing this issue. I would certainly encourage you to do everything possible to persuade your colleagues to also become involved and let their clients know to whom to report these instances of sick puppies from pet stores. Possibly a letter to one of your veterinary journals would be helpful. I think it would be important to hear this request from a fellow veterinarian. Thanks agains for your interest and willingness to become involved.

[lorna]

bob, you and I go way back!!! In 1984 when I was working for MSPCA (pre vet school) you shared photos of pup mills with me so we could put them in our education programs. I don't feel like we have made much progress!!! Veterinary cooperation is important. I think a letter to vet journals, etc is a good idea but I believe campaigns by national orgs with money and media attention are much more powerful!!! Not a campaign targeting vets as bad guys to the public, I mean a campaign educating vets. I teach Welfare to pre vet students and I spend a lecture on wholesale breeders, class B dealers, etc,etc. They are shocked and these are students with more than a passing interest in animals.
The next generation of vets is gutsier and more humane than past ones, vet students are open to this.......with direction on what they can do!!!
THANKS!!!