After the lack of compassion we experienced at Vets Now and reading a number of stories regarding the treatment of pets and their owners at the hands of the Vets Now centres, I would like to start this petition - the last one was filed in 2008 and I can find no evidence that this was acted on.
Once signed up with Vets Now, the vet practices using their services, hand over all ‘out of hours’ calls from Saturday lunchtime to Monday morning, Bank holidays and every night from close of practice in the evening, to the following morning.
Complaints range from the cost of the treatments, to pets being discharged while still very ill. It is claimed that the agency has broken a number of the ‘best practice’ guide lines listed on the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons web site. Vets Now work from a centrally located veterinary hospital in each region where they hold contracts with small practices.
When asked about up front payments before treatment was started or demands for payments to be made which exceeded the owners immediate capacity to pay, the Vets Now spokesperson Mhairi Clarke told Our Dogs that they were unaware of this and were concerned to hear this had taken place, adding that they would like it made clear to our readers that if they feel the way their case was dealt with was not good enough, they would appreciate a written complaint being handed in so that they could investigate.
Well, I submitted a complaint, and it was rejected.
When your pet is ill, injured and in dire need of urgent medical treatment, you are at the mercy of a 24 hr veterinary practice. Time is of the essence....you have no time to 'shop' around for a vet within a few miles. You love your pet - you are ready to place your trust and the life of your fur baby to someone you thought would save their life. I've read a number of stories regarding the treatment of pets and their owners at the hands of the Vets Now centres and they are shameful....it is my wish that this company should cease to be in practice!
