Charitable Vet Sevices In Sa

[Dory the Doted One]

Does anyone know if there is an organisation in South Australia that offers a Vet Clinic

to those who are disadvantaged? Such as the Lort Smith Animal Hospital?

I don't 'think' that AWL or RSPCA offer such services, last time I looked they didn't.

Does anyone know of anyone/organisation that can offer assistance to these people

in times of need?

I'm not asking because I need it. I'm asking because I'm sick of watching people getting

told if you can't pay it all now, you'll have to kill your pet. No Accounts given.

[Monah]

Do any offer a 'timepayment' system? Ours all do here. It's low socio economic in this area, so they needed to do something.

How awful Dory.. :D

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Have you asked AWL or RSPCA?

I think either of my vets would do time payment if I asked them nicely - because I am a regular customer. In fact both of them offer to "send accounts". I think. I always pay so I can't remember. I know I owed one of them money for a short period of time but that was because I went direct from the dog walking park with no money to the vet, and I paid in full when I collected the dog after she vomited up the gladwrapped sandwich.

There is also a finance service that Snook found out about when she was looking for a way to cover vet expenses before pay day. That's another possibilty - ie get a personal loan or short term cash loan - there are people who do that for you so why ask the vet to do it - its not their thing.

Vets must hate having to pick and choose about things like this because they can't afford to be known as "the charity vet". Ie they wouldn't have time for paying patients. I imagine most of them would do some freebies, but would be unlikely to say so over the phone. Eg you find a dog that's been in a car accident and take it to the vet - some will fix it up and then find the owner and ask them to pay, and if owner has no money - then pay as they can would be better than nothing.

PS some horse vets I know - were always getting money in installments. They'd have had not enough business if they didn't.

PPS what about Roseworthy college - they've got a vet school now...

PPPS http://www.adelaidevet.com.au/our-services have a payment plan called "care credit"

Edited January 19, 2011 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[Staranais]

A client not having sufficient money to pay for surgery or medicine that a dog needs is sad position for the client, and for most vets, to be in. But from the other side, vets aren't banks. Extending credit to people is a huge hassel and time waster for vets, and puts them out of pocket if clients don't pay (and many don't). When vets extend credit to people, it invariably costs them money, and then they have to pass the costs onto their other clients.

Most vets I know will stabilise an injured dog on credit, but I know few that will do surgery or diagnostic tests or give medicine on credit. The ones that do only do this for established clients, but I don't know any that are happy to do that for brand new clients. It's just too risky.

Having said that, I do think the situation Snook describes where the dog died before the client could get the deposit to the vet sounds really bad. I would be unhappy working in a practice where that was the protocol, it does not sound like good practice at all.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Staranais

[Crisovar]

It really does pay to have an established relationship with your Vet, continually shopping around and not having a history of payment and treatment does not help.

A lot of people expect to walk into a business that they have not used before and expect credit, often for large sums.

I know this is not the case all the time but the number of bad debts from emergency cases that are not established customers the Vet industry is huge.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

ok i just had a long lovely chat with my vet clinic

they do not do credit and said there are very few vet clinics that do because they have lost a lot of money as people have not paid the account.

GE Finance do have a facility for providing credit to approved applicants for vet bills over $300. (i think this is what is called care credit)

however, if i needed to have anything done to my pets and i didn't have the money they would do it and i could pay it off because they have been my vet clinic for 15 years so they know me and they know i will be back and that i would pay them

they don't know of any place that provides any services for people on low incomes

Edited January 19, 2011 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[Dory the Doted One]

It's not for me. I work for a Vet, so should things go wrong I'm covered.

My vet is one of the softies, thankgoodness!

We had recent communication with the college out at Roseworthy, which has prompted my enquiries.

I even emailed Lort Smith to see if they knew anyone.

I guess I'm feeling really tired of seeing people left with no options and was dredging around for some hope.

I'm also researching charitable organisations and what is involved in starting one up.

Will I take it further? Who knows. Depends on what my research uncovers.

When I worked with one of our welfare groups I noticed that there was not really any treatment options

for people doing it tough. It was surrender it, and we'll give it 'peace'. (ie. put it down. :D )

[stormie]

The thing is, you couldnt really do it at most businesses so I'm not sure why Vets should be different? For example, if my car broke down, my mechanic wouldn't fix it for me out of his own pocket, even though he loves cars. And if I was hungry, I don't think Coles would let me take home a trolley full of groceries either.

I probably sound harsh but I don't mean to be. The Vets have to make their livelihood too, so they can pay their own bills/expenses. Surely it's on the onus of the owner to be able to afford vet bills rather than expecting the Vet/Business Owner to pay for the owner?

Also, as has already been mentioned, it's people who don't end up paying that ruin it for others. We've had clients rack up thousands and then do a runner. Or they board their animal and never come back. In the end, there's nothing you can really do to get the money back. The previous owner of our clinic ended up getting assaulted and his wife threatened simply because he tried to demand payment from a non payer.

Regular people - well that's a different story, but if someone just came off the street? I wouldn't expect any clinic to do run up an account.

[Staranais]

This problem will only grow, unfortunately. Veterinary medicine is getting more sophisticated every year - that means more procedures, more tests and more drugs can be offered to clients, and all of those come at a cost that some people will be unable to afford.

Off the top of my head, perhaps some options for you to look into could be:

1. A system where people are allowed to deposit money, maybe just a few dollars a week, and then they have that much credit in their account at the vets for future use?

2. Encouraging people to get pet insurance

3. A charity that people can donate to, where people with no income can apply for money from the charity to help cover vet costs (this could take far too long for emergency situations, however).

4. Education for people buying dogs about how much veterinary medicine actually costs. Many people just have no idea how much medicine costs and are shocked when they find out - I've had spay surgeries called "expensive" when they were being offered at cost price and no profit being made by the clinic whatsoever.

I'm not sure if it would be sustainable to have a practice where unknown people were automatically extended credit, as sadly, many people just don't pay, leaving the practice hugely out of pocket.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

stormie that is almost word for word what i was told by my vet clinic (apart from the assault)

i know, really know, that they would assist me if i didn't have the money...but i have been a loyal customer for 15 years and my last dog was really old so i was there a lot . my daughter goes there with her dogs as well

i do not think it is reasonable for us to expect vets to take credit risks, they learn to be vets not financiers.

i also think that there needs to be a clinic set up for people on low incomes, there are clinics like this in the UK but i am not sure how they run

[Staranais]

I've worked in a very low cost clinic in the pacific islands, the way it was low cost was:

1. The only drugs & equipment we had were donated and often expired

2. Minimal equipment (nothing to do blood tests or x-rays with, for example - about the only equipment we had were an anaesthetic machine and a microscope)

3. Volunteer labour (vets & vet students worked there for a working holiday, in exchange for free beachfront accomodation on a beautiful pacific island)

We could do some surgeries (albeit not as sterile, and with far less anaesthetic monitoring, than ideal!) and we could diagnose & treat simple medical conditions. Animals we didn't have the drugs or facilities to treat, went untreated (if humane) or were PTS.

Not sure how that would work legally in Aussie or N.Z (e.g. the use of expired drugs, the lack of diagnostic equipment), and not sure how many volunteers you'd get either?

Edited January 19, 2011 by Staranais

[stormie]

I absolutely understand why vets won't give credit, especially to people who are not long term customers, but I do think there should be some leniency. If it's an absolute life and death emergency I don't think it's unreasonable for the vet to stabilise the animal prior to payment being received, as not everyone has a credit card and people may need to borrow the money from a friend/family member/cash converters/whoever. If it's a true emergency it's unlikely they'd be able to get this money prior to getting to the vet. I agree with no further work being done until payment is made though. What would be really helpful for big bills and people with pet insurance, is if it was possible for the vet to claim direct from the insurance company (much like the human health cover) and the owner pay the gap rather than have to come up with hundreds or thousands up front and then claim it back. Not sure how it would work though if a claim was refused by the insurance company.

Totally agree and to an extent it's also a requirement of a vet to provide first aid/relieve pain, suffering etc to any thing that walks through their doors. For example if people rush a dog in to us with a smashed up leg after being HBC but cannot locate the owners, by law we have to treat the dog. We don't have to repair the leg, but we would clean and bandage the wounds, stabilize the leg and provide pain relief.

[westiemum]

I don't expect my vet to fund my animals through credit - I pay as I go (with one exception last year) - and I'm incredibly grateful for their help. GPs don't do credit, very few bulk bill anymore and you pay up front so I don't see why vets should be any different.

I agree there is a need for people taking animals on to be better informed about vet costs and plan accordingly. I'm not putting tickets on myself - but I pay extra into my mortgage to fund the uninsured animals and insure the other two. I admit 4 animals is the limit of what I can afford and there won't be others after the first one goes over the bridge.

Staranais I visited the Esther Honey Foundation in the Cook Islands back in 2008 - and while I support the fabulous work they do they sure do it all on a shoestring - and I'm not sure how it would work in Australia - there would certainly be two tiers of care - and I'm not sure thats a good idea. I think Lort Smith works solely on donations - and if I remember correctly from my time in Melbourne the vet care was excellent but basic.

I'm not sure what the solution is - except to say its not the vets responsibility and until there is a Medicare for animals (in my dreams! ) that people need to plan for vet expenses through savings, insurance or a combination of both - or don't have pets - harsh as that sounds. If you can't afford the vet bills you can't afford the pet.

[Dory the Doted One]

I'm not sure what the solution is - except to say its not the vets responsibility and until there is a Medicare for animals (in my dreams! ) that people need to plan for vet expenses through savings, insurance or a combination of both - or don't have pets - harsh as that sounds. If you can't afford the vet bills you can't afford the pet.

Ah, see. I struggle with this statement. Whilst I would agree to a certain extent. ie. you couldn't afford it when you got it. Circumstances can and do change. I'm also reminded of the many people out there, who if it weren't for their pets would have nothing or no one, or no reason to live even.

Thanks to everyone for input!

Any other experiences with charity orgs that offer assistance for vet treatment? Or even how to start a charitable organisation?

[stormie]

I'm not sure what the solution is - except to say its not the vets responsibility and until there is a Medicare for animals (in my dreams! ) that people need to plan for vet expenses through savings, insurance or a combination of both - or don't have pets - harsh as that sounds. If you can't afford the vet bills you can't afford the pet.

Ah, see. I struggle with this statement. Whilst I would agree to a certain extent. ie. you couldn't afford it when you got it. Circumstances can and do change. I'm also reminded of the many people out there, who if it weren't for their pets would have nothing or no one, or no reason to live even.

Thanks to everyone for input!

Any other experiences with charity orgs that offer assistance for vet treatment? Or even how to start a charitable organisation?

There's already the MDBA - I'm pretty sure their help extends to people struggling with vet bills in certain circumstances?

[Miss Squish]

PPPS http://www.adelaidevet.com.au/our-services have a payment plan called "care credit"

Care Credit accounts through GE, are 6 months interest free! Southern animal hospital at Morphett vale does these accounts

[Danois]

I can understand completely why vets stop extending credit and I am not sure why there is an expectation they do. Like stormie said - people would not expect the same from other service providers.

Off the top of my head, perhaps some options for you to look into could be:

1. A system where people are allowed to deposit money, maybe just a few dollars a week, and then they have that much credit in their account at the vets for future use?

2. Encouraging people to get pet insurance

3. A charity that people can donate to, where people with no income can apply for money from the charity to help cover vet costs (this could take far too long for emergency situations, however).

4. Education for people buying dogs about how much veterinary medicine actually costs. Many people just have no idea how much medicine costs and are shocked when they find out - I've had spay surgeries called "expensive" when they were being offered at cost price and no profit being made by the clinic whatsoever.

Account at Vet

The problem is 1 is that the vets have to account for it in their financial statements as would be considered income. The only way it could perhaps work is if a vet ran a trust account like lawyers use. Lawyers hold money on trust for their clients and can only transfer it from a trust account to a general operating account on written instructions from a client.

Only issue is that this brings in another layer of admin and costs for a client as trust accounts need to be audited and there is a bit of admin with receipting and posting to the accounts.

Suppose it comes down to whether vets should act as our bankers. If you're going to go for an option like this then why not put the same money into a savings account you cannot touch?

Pet Insurance

If people are not confident in their ability to pay vet bills then Pet Insurance is essential.

I know the majority of the insurers require you to have paid first but some will pay a clinic directly. Perhaps this should be looked at further. But then again - why should vets have to hassle insurers for payments, only get some of the money and have to chase a client etc for the money.

Charity

There will be some genuine cases of people falling on hard times and no longer being able to afford vets - but doesn't Centrelink allow advances against benefits and some church organisations can also help?

Education

This one is where it starts.

Many people do not understand/ appreciate the true cost of owning a dog. I remember a number of us in the dane thread worked out how much we would spend annually and a couple of people considering the breed were a tad horrified and had not realised it was that expensive - for example, a course of ABs for a dane can be close to $100.

But it does come down to the basic principle - if you cannot afford to properly care for a pet then you should be considering carefully whether you should have a pet.

[yarracully]

I probably sound harsh but I don't mean to be. The Vets have to make their livelihood too, so they can pay their own bills/expenses. Surely it's on the onus of the owner to be able to afford vet bills rather than expecting the Vet/Business Owner to pay for the owner?

Also, as has already been mentioned, it's people who don't end up paying that ruin it for others. We've had clients rack up thousands and then do a runner.

Must agree with Stormie here. We used to own a service station and the number of times people would come in and ask if they could pay later was unreal. Especially when at other times you would see the same person go somewhere else to get their fuel when they had money but only come to you to book it up. Also with the small number of accounts we were holding it tended to create a cashflow problem. You had to pay for the goods when they were delivered and then wait for someone to pay their account to get your money back. Often a few months later.

Same with the vet. They had to pay for the medications etc. when they get them. They want to get their money back so they can stock up again. This is why many businesses go to the wall. They are selling the goods but not getting the money back until much later and so in the meantime they go broke waiting.

When I got out of our service station I had over $100,000 owing to me. One person that owed was even driving around in a brand new BMW which basically I was paying to run. But I couldn't get that money in to pay the bills I had to pay straight away so I was forced to sell up.

As stormie said its the few that make it hard for the genuine. I know my vet will allow me to pay up later but then he also knows that I always pay within a week of the emergency. But then I have a good ongoing relationship with my vet. He will even insist on making me a coffee when I go there. But then he always makes me wait until its coffee time before he will look at my animals to.

[Staff'n'Toller]

We are pretty lenient towards our long time and very good clients, when you get to know people well it's hard not to be sympathetic to their situations.

There are always the unexpected human illnesses or losses and some people do have really bad luck.

We have had more than one newbie in the last couple of years get to the end of the consult, come out and say I can't pay. They are typically people who have lost their driving licence and have also happily written down a fake address and phone numbers.

Sort of leaves a sour taste in your mouth...and I'm not even the practice manager.

[jr_inoz]

PPPS http://www.adelaidevet.com.au/our-services have a payment plan called "care credit"

Care Credit accounts through GE, are 6 months interest free! Southern animal hospital at Morphett vale does these accounts

I think the vet on Marion Road does the same thing.