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Who pays vet bills for wild animals?
Just wondering, if a deer/badger is knocked down or found injured and needs simple treatment, who pays the vet bill and what happens to it afterwards? Is it released back in the wild/given to a sanctuary? This is of course assuming the animal can fully recover and euthanasia is unnecessary.
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In Canada (where I am from) there are wildlife rehabilitation facilities that treat injured and orphaned wildlife. There are similar organizations in the UK, but my experience is only within Canada.
Basically what would happen at the organization where I work is the public calls us when they find an injured or orphaned animal, we go pick it up, and it comes to our hospital for treatment. Initial treatment is done by the technicians and the veterinarian comes in a few times a week or if there is anything urgent (i.e. surgeries). We are not sponsored by the government so most of our money come from private donations and fund raisers. The vet who comes in is normally paid on an hourly basis, but we also have a few veterinarians who donate their services. Procedures that can not be performed on site (such as x-rays) go to regular clinics, which do not charge us!
Once the animal has made a full recovery we do our best to release it. Sometimes they can't be successfully rehabilitated and in that case they are evaluated to see if they would make good candidates for education or fostering.
Basically what would happen at the organization where I work is the public calls us when they find an injured or orphaned animal, we go pick it up, and it comes to our hospital for treatment. Initial treatment is done by the technicians and the veterinarian comes in a few times a week or if there is anything urgent (i.e. surgeries). We are not sponsored by the government so most of our money come from private donations and fund raisers. The vet who comes in is normally paid on an hourly basis, but we also have a few veterinarians who donate their services. Procedures that can not be performed on site (such as x-rays) go to regular clinics, which do not charge us!
Once the animal has made a full recovery we do our best to release it. Sometimes they can't be successfully rehabilitated and in that case they are evaluated to see if they would make good candidates for education or fostering.
I dont know if this applies to larger animals such as deers...they are not found near were i live (in the city) but if a member of the public brings in say a hedgehog/bird/duck we ring the rspca and get a log number for the animal....we treat it and then once it has recovered we release it. The RSPCA will take some things off us such as ducks and i think they go to a wildlife centre but birds and hedgehogs are cared for at the practice and the RSPCA pay the bills. (sorry if im wrong!)
Yeh thats right, the same happens if a stray is brought in.
The PDSA just treat them and then send them to a sanctuary or re-home them if they are strays. But then the pdsa is a charity so I don't know what happens in private vets. The one I go to deffo treats wild animals but I don't know who pays. I'm going to ask next time I'm there.
Its the log number routine for all vets, PDSA or private. I have experience with this at private vets (as in not PDSA) and we had 3 stray cats come in, in the space of 3 days. What happened was each cat was allocated a log number from the RSPCA. The surgery usually try to find the owner asap and have to keep it in for a minimum of 7 days. If at the end of that the owner is not found, it can either be rehomed, or if it is too ill, it is PTS. In the case of a wild animal/owner not being found, the vets can then use the log number to claim for any treatment the animal received.
Hi Guys,
OMG, don't go there- we have THE biggest rows in our house because my dad thinks i should treat all wildlife for free (and if it costs me for materials, other people's wages, etcv etc, that i should fund that out of my own pocket ) just because i chose to be a vet. grrr. i love wildlife, would defo PTS wildlife casualties for free- then have to charge up on paying customers PTS bills?? and do basic first aid, then ship to the RSPCA, although even they are not a bootomless pit.
We had a sticky situation last week- a bloke had 2 big birds crash land in his garden and looked after them for months, then one got sick so we did a massive workup, 10 xrays, and it took 2 vets, a student and a nurses morning's time up and all the anaesthetic etc and we did it him all for £50 (rrp approx £200) and then he was cross at having to pay so much. at what point to dwildlife become pets? should we not charge to encourage the public to rescue wildlife, not put them off? and just because we chose to be vets doeas it mean we should have to live in penury?? sorry- becoming philosophical i old age- i have too much time on my hands being a lady that lunches!!!!!!!!x
OMG, don't go there- we have THE biggest rows in our house because my dad thinks i should treat all wildlife for free (and if it costs me for materials, other people's wages, etcv etc, that i should fund that out of my own pocket ) just because i chose to be a vet. grrr. i love wildlife, would defo PTS wildlife casualties for free- then have to charge up on paying customers PTS bills?? and do basic first aid, then ship to the RSPCA, although even they are not a bootomless pit.
We had a sticky situation last week- a bloke had 2 big birds crash land in his garden and looked after them for months, then one got sick so we did a massive workup, 10 xrays, and it took 2 vets, a student and a nurses morning's time up and all the anaesthetic etc and we did it him all for £50 (rrp approx £200) and then he was cross at having to pay so much. at what point to dwildlife become pets? should we not charge to encourage the public to rescue wildlife, not put them off? and just because we chose to be vets doeas it mean we should have to live in penury?? sorry- becoming philosophical i old age- i have too much time on my hands being a lady that lunches!!!!!!!!x
I would treat strays, but thing is someone has to pay for their treatment and if the RSPCA don't then i think most vets have a stray fund and it gets paid out of there. At my vets sometimes they get birds and rabbits etc and they are sent on to wildlife sanctuaries but cats and dogs, because all the rescues are full the vets rehome them for a small fee which covers some of the treatment.
If i get to be a vet i would probably have fundraising days or something where i would organise a 10 mile dog walk or some sort of fundraising event and would ask people for donations to the stray/ wildlife fund.
x
If i get to be a vet i would probably have fundraising days or something where i would organise a 10 mile dog walk or some sort of fundraising event and would ask people for donations to the stray/ wildlife fund.
x
Money ruins EVERYTHING doesn't it.
We've had some "special cases" in at vets I've been at before...like a rotty puppy who had parvo. She was abandoned by some load of pikeys and very nearly put to sleep when she didn't seem to be getting better. However, the nurses and I BEGGED the vet not to, and a few days later she was on the mend, and ended up a healthy happy gorgeous pup. How much that cost I dont know!!
At the kennel I work at we get dogs tied up at the gate and abandoned in SHOCKING states sometimes, and we're supposed to give the dogs in...but we tend to keep them, pay the vet bills and rehome them ourselves. Probably a little bit naughty, but we've got some fairly well off very regular customers who all chip in a bit when they find out about it. We've also got a top class vet who helps us out...then 'cos we've got so many doggy contacts all of the dogs end up in fantastic homes.
Happy endings all round!
We've had some "special cases" in at vets I've been at before...like a rotty puppy who had parvo. She was abandoned by some load of pikeys and very nearly put to sleep when she didn't seem to be getting better. However, the nurses and I BEGGED the vet not to, and a few days later she was on the mend, and ended up a healthy happy gorgeous pup. How much that cost I dont know!!
At the kennel I work at we get dogs tied up at the gate and abandoned in SHOCKING states sometimes, and we're supposed to give the dogs in...but we tend to keep them, pay the vet bills and rehome them ourselves. Probably a little bit naughty, but we've got some fairly well off very regular customers who all chip in a bit when they find out about it. We've also got a top class vet who helps us out...then 'cos we've got so many doggy contacts all of the dogs end up in fantastic homes.
Happy endings all round!I dont understand the RSPCA sometimes.....We had a cat in our vets for over 6 weeks...it had been in an RTA and had a broken jaw. One of the vets wired it up and became VERY attached to him. The time soon came when he was 100% fine again and he was taken to the RSPCA. The vet came back in on the Monday and rang the RSPCA to check if anyone had been interested in re-homing him and they informed her that he had been put to sleep......maybe they didn't have enough space in their cattery but i personally feel that they shouldnt have done it. They ok'd us sending him to them and if there was no space then it would be no problem us keeping him for another week until there was. He was a lovely friendly cat with a great temperament and had never shown any aggression towards us throughout his stay with us...even when being syringe fed and jabbed with needles. We now try and get our nice strays sent to the CPL instead because they seem to have a better reputation.
It also seems that it isnt the best way to spend the money the RSPCA fork out for the treatment of the animals if they are just going to PTS as soon as they have recovered
It also seems that it isnt the best way to spend the money the RSPCA fork out for the treatment of the animals if they are just going to PTS as soon as they have recovered
thats DISGRACEFUL!
i think putting any animal to sleep if its perfectly healthy and has a good temeprament is wrong! They're supposed to be helping the animals not killing them! i'm sure if they had no room they could have rang somewhere and got someone to take them and i think they could have informed you lot that that's what they intended to do!
if i could i would take them all LOL!
x
i think putting any animal to sleep if its perfectly healthy and has a good temeprament is wrong! They're supposed to be helping the animals not killing them! i'm sure if they had no room they could have rang somewhere and got someone to take them and i think they could have informed you lot that that's what they intended to do!
if i could i would take them all LOL!
x
yeah. they should have at least tried to get a home for it- maybe they rang around but just forgot yous. Maybe they thought you wouldnt have it back as you'd handed it in? I still think they should have at least asked you guys though.
You're right it was a waste of time and money- but i suppose at least the cat didn't suffer when being pts and it had been around caring people (i hope) at the RSPCA before it was PTS.
x
You're right it was a waste of time and money- but i suppose at least the cat didn't suffer when being pts and it had been around caring people (i hope) at the RSPCA before it was PTS.
x
Sarah i agree totally! They dont seem to care whats actually best for the animal. I worked on a farm for work experience and his wife had worked at the RSPCA for a few months and hated it. She really cared for the animals and if somebody phoned up about a lost pet and then a few days later an animal matching the description was brought to the shelter she would ring back the owner to let them know they may have found their animal. She was told off for this..the RSPCA argued that if they were that bothered about their pet then they would ring again. She also got intouch with a greyhound rescue centre to see if they would take on a greyhound that was at the shelter..she was told off for this 2 even tho she was trying her best to help?
My personal experience of the RSPCA is that they are all miserable...but i dont know if its due to the depressing environment that they work in. I volunteered at my local shelter for about 6 months and hated being around most of the staff. Having said that the inspectors that come to our vets are lovely and really do seem to care.....its just some things you hear about them it makes you wonder.
My personal experience of the RSPCA is that they are all miserable...but i dont know if its due to the depressing environment that they work in. I volunteered at my local shelter for about 6 months and hated being around most of the staff. Having said that the inspectors that come to our vets are lovely and really do seem to care.....its just some things you hear about them it makes you wonder.
Dont even get me started bout the RSPCA! They are a complete waste of space! Ok ok maybe slight exaggeration, they do help. But seriously, they would rather a healthy animal was PTS rather than taking the effort to rehome it. It seems to me that they never seem to have the animals interests as their priority, something else is always more important. CPL or many dogs homes are so much better as they always seem to care!
Its the log number routine for all vets, PDSA or private. I have experience with this at private vets (as in not PDSA) and we had 3 stray cats come in, in the space of 3 days. What happened was each cat was allocated a log number from the RSPCA. The surgery usually try to find the owner asap and have to keep it in for a minimum of 7 days. If at the end of that the owner is not found, it can either be rehomed, or if it is too ill, it is PTS. In the case of a wild animal/owner not being found, the vets can then use the log number to claim for any treatment the animal received.
Oh, my cat I brought home from the PDSA never got a log number or anything. The PDSA just did it then I took her home!
until now i had a good opinion of the RSPCA. obv i was a fool lol!
what they do defeats the object of their existence. Surely their purpose is to rehome animals and stop cruellty?
However, although being PTS isnt a cruel way to kill them, it is cruel because of the waste of a perfectly good life!!!
and yet they have a go at people who genuinely care for the animals, but who may not have the right homes etc!!!!
RAWR!!!!
x
what they do defeats the object of their existence. Surely their purpose is to rehome animals and stop cruellty?
However, although being PTS isnt a cruel way to kill them, it is cruel because of the waste of a perfectly good life!!!
and yet they have a go at people who genuinely care for the animals, but who may not have the right homes etc!!!!
RAWR!!!!
x
i think maybe the amount of breeders should be cut down so that more people go to the rescue centre's and cut down numbers in the kennels.
also, this would mean that because there is only a certain amount of breeders so more people would go to rescue centres that way too.
or do you think this could have an opposite effect and breeders wouldnt be able to sell the kittens/ pups etc so they would end up in cat and dog shelters or on the streets?
x
also, this would mean that because there is only a certain amount of breeders so more people would go to rescue centres that way too.
or do you think this could have an opposite effect and breeders wouldnt be able to sell the kittens/ pups etc so they would end up in cat and dog shelters or on the streets?
x
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