Horsefeathers!

SG, I once printed out a copy of the IRS's IC guidelines. We kind of had a mutual agreement, and he's never given me any grief before now. At least, not to this degree. We never really had a contract. Stupid in some respects, but I'm also not bound by a lease agreement. The truth is he just pockets that rent money (cash, you see). This sh*thead just tried to call me. I hung up on him. Screw him... I'll talk when I'm ready. :x

This is probably just going to be more of a long rant than anything, so if you want to bail out now... I have been grooming in the clinic in which I RENT space for six years now. During that time, I've obviously taken on a lot of dogs, and have been a bit involved in rescue. I can not state emphatically enough that I have NEVER, not one single freakin' time, asked the vet in that clinic for any kind of special deals or help. I've always made a conscientious effort to never say anything that could be interpreted as expecting him to help me in any way. I get a 25% discount on products and vet services at that clinic. I've expressed my undying gratitude for it more times than I can count. Still, I always assumed it was a professional courtesy... I pimp the h*ll out of vet services and products (primarily flea control, or exams to check out an odd lump, funky ears, whatever). Anyway, I never asked for the discount, and just assumed it was, again, a professional courtesy... sort of a thank you for the significant amount of business I bring in. And again, just because I can't say this enough, I have NEVER asked him for any kind of charity, and I've never attempted to negotiate any prices. I pay him whatever he asks. In the six years I've been there, this vet has never spoken to me in the manner in which he did yesterday. Out of nowhere, he started railing, literally stomping, turning red, and having a tantrum, about how that is HIS "d*mn clinic" and that I'm going to have to start doing whatever rescue work on my own time. Huh? I pay rent there, and the space I rent should be MINE. I'm not having people coming through the clinic looking at the dog, I'm not asking him for charity, I've not asked him to be involved in any way. Besides, the dog (little Cocker I took the other day) is staying at my receptionist's house for now as a favor to me. He is not boarding at that clinic. He just comes during the day when I'm there. I'm just techically the dog's owner, and paying for whatever he needs. I don't understand the problem because I have at least one of my dogs at work with me ever single day of the week. She brought him to work yesterday because I asked her to, so that I could tend to his ears there. ME, I, I, I tended his years, not the vet nor his staff. I'm not a d*mn employee. I pay RENT! My time is mine to do what I want with it. From all his bitching, all I could gather is that the dog was in an inappropriate pen. It was a shaded outdoor pen that's secured right outside my door, and the clinic wasn't busy, so the dog wasn't taking a spot from a paying client. That was perhaps a mistake. I mean, we've been able to do that for six years and it's never been a problem, so I reckon I'm a dumbass for assuming it wouldn't be a problem yesterday. The vet told me AGAIN that it's HIS "d*mn clinic" and the dog shouldn't be there at all. I told him that if it were a problem, he could have approached me earlier in the day and I would have gladly moved the dog into my space... you know where I pay freakin' rent. Better yet, just charge me for a day of boarding, and I'll pay it if it's that big a deal since, AGAIN, I never balk at a bill. Did I mention that I've been there six years, paying RENT, and am still not considered trustworthy enough to have a key? If I need anything from my groom shop, I'd better make d*mn sure I get it during business hours. Ten thousand other people have a key to that building... just not me. That's a different rant, but related to the lack of respect I feel directed at me. While he was bitching at me, literally yelling, I never did get a chance at a good rebuttal. I mean, he's chewing me out, but then basically telling me to shut up every time I tried to open my mouth. I am not his wife, kid, employee, or the village idiot. How dare he think he can address me in any manner and THEN tell me how to respond! I left just short of saying, "f*ck you!" It came so far out of nowhere that I was truly speechless. Then I was pissed for not just going ahead and saying f*ck you. I didn't even go in to work today. This has me so angry. I can't get over it... I've never asked him for any charity, and for him to treat me like I'm trying to steal from him or take advantage of him? If, after all these years, I'm no more trustworthy than that, he can take his "d*mn clinic" and shove it sideways up his *ss. The receptionist called me at home a while ago to say he called a big meeting about how his folks (aimed at her and me who was absentee) need to do rescue work on their time and she said he emphatically stated again that it's HIS d*mn clinic. Not only am I angry about the way he spoke to me, and the way he acts like I'm trying to steal from him. I'm super p*ssed off because I am a d*mn client there just like any other, and I spend a LOT of money there. I've never, ever seen him address any other client of his in this manner about an animal. Even if he thinks they've gone totally bonkers and taken on more than they can handle, he keeps his mouth shut. Well, sh*t, I spend a buttload of money there, too! That includes the rescues I take in. I'm just taking the day off to reflect on my options. The logical side of me knows I can't afford all that it would take to just pull up out of there and start a business all over again. I can't just "move" my business because if I do, it's going to be closer to home, and I live a good 30 miles from where I work. Most of my clients would not be able to follow me since they usually drop off before work, and then pick up afterward. However, the hot headed side of me absolutely cannot stand to be treated with such blatant and needless disrespect. Even if I were doing things he considered "wrong," the thing to do would have been to call me on it earlier so I could make whatever changes necessary to make him happy... not just blow up on me over something I was totally unaware was a problem. No matter what happens, we are going to have a come to Jesus meeting. I'm not going to just let it go. I had to take today off and think. Writing is what helps me pull my thoughts together, so I wrote out my rebuttal, so to speak. I had to do SOMETHING because ever other thing I could think of to tell him started off with "f*ck you" and "go to h*ll." I'm not going to sugar coat anything, but I need to be able to talk without resorting to his level of "communication." The receptionist, who loved that job, told me while ago that she's putting in her two week notice. Apparently, he chewed her out really good this morning, too, and she's decided she's had it with him acting like a total *ss every time he has a bad day. This is the first he's ranted on me like this, but I promise it will be his last one way or another. F*ck him.

I think I understand where the initial poster is coming from. While it's not "right" to not give certain puppies and dogs the same chance as others, when rescues are dealing with volume, they often end up pulling the more adoptable dogs from shelters. Unfortunately, that may mean that the little fluffies get taken way more than a black or black and tan Lab or Lab mix since the little fluffies are popular. Just because you (figuratively) would take a Pit mix or Lab mix, they generally aren't the more popular dogs. People just don't want the big, black dogs. It isn't the rescues' faults. I wish EVERY dog had a chance, but when you're dealing with volume, you often have to take what you can get adopted. From what I understand, it often varies from region. Certain dogs and puppies are just more popular in some areas than others. A very good friend is part of a rescue group that pulls dogs from shelters, and I can't tell you the times I've seen her upset because she was only able to take certain dogs and had to leave others behind. She's had to divide litters of puppies, herself (weaned, of course). When your resources are limited, you have to do what you can do with what you have. As far as honesty goes, I'm all for being as honest as possible about whatever background and health information is available about the animals. I just don't think that's exactly what the initial poster was getting at. [quote]With dogs who have been nursing pups recently, people always ask "Oh, where are the puppies?". Sometimes, it is a happy ending or maybe the pups are avaliable in our group, but the sad reality is that we do take mothers without their pups (weaned, of course) if we know the pups will be hard to place (for example, if mom is a cute poodle mix but the puppies look like pits). Do you tell the folks that we left them behind? Or just pretend we don't know?Or when we take half of a litter because we only have foster homes for 5 pups, how do we address the 'is this the whole litter?' question? Most people will not be understanding when you tell them that the shelter killed the puppies, they will be mad at us and mad at the shelter. (They will not, however, offer to foster puppies or adopt anything hard to place)[/quote] That's a tough question to me. Part of me thinks people need to know the brutal truth... that a litter of puppies was killed because they would be too hard to adopt, but that mom was a relatively "popular" breed/mix and could be placed. I understand what the poster is saying... that people get very indignant and angry when you tell them this, but they aren't the ones offering to foster or help place animals. It really comes down to resources. If you only have resources for X amount of animals, you have to decide based on that which animals to help. While I personally tend to deal with special needs animals, I know that in the grand scheme of things, you can save more animals with a higher turnover rate if you stick with the more easily adoptable ones. It doesn't mean it's easy to watch the less adoptable (which means less popular with the public) dogs die.

I'll snitch on my vet a little... there have been times when someone dumped a perfectly healthy pet to be put down and he didn't do it. I adopted a cat from him that way. Perfectly healthy cat, nothing wrong with it. The people just didn't want it, anymore. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. It may be considered unethical by some, but I reckon we all live by our own code of ethics, and sometimes my vet's ethics will not let him put down a perfectly healthy pet just because it's become a nuisance. If the owners are standing right there until the end, there's not much he can do, but if they leave the animal... He doesn't just outright refuse to do it because, around here, it would be entirely possible for someone to take the dog or cat out onto a country road and just abandon it there, tie a weight to it and drop it into a pond or river, or all sorts of things. When weighing evils, sometimes it's best to just go ahead and juice them rather than letting the owners decide the animal's fate. :-?

Oh, don't be misled! Mo is not staying here... he's not even here tonight; he's staying with our receptionist who graciously offered to keep him short term for me since I have my hands full. I reckon I'm a foster who's subcontracting out another foster? Anyway, she and I are in cahoots for now. We just wanted to make sure he was safe. I have sent out about 8274928361162830948 emails to rescue groups throughout my area tonight. I do not have the resources for another permanent addition to casa de HF, but I just could not let a perfectly healthy dog be killed over some easily treatable stuff. These people... I just don't know what to think sometimes. :-?

This is Mo, as in "what's one Mo?" Seven months old, sweet as can be, outgoing and friendly, and he's all mine. I can hardly contain my joy. :-? Some buttwhistle bonehead dumped him today to be euthanized because they didn't want to dump the money into treating his ear infection and demodex. That's all that's wrong with him. They did, however, have the money to have his tail docked. They were actually going to KILL this seven month old puppy over the ear infection and demodex... well, not just because of the money. No, the smell was just too much to bear. They decided to kill him and get another dog and start over. Yes, they said this! They are already planning on getting another dog. They didn't even want to give him over to me to foster because, "oh my, I couldn't bear to stress him by bouncing him from home to home..." but when they realized that it was going to cost money to have him put down and disposed of by the clinic, the tune quickly changed to, "oh, fine, y'all just find a home for him, or whatever you want to do with him then!" I'm just chock full to the brim with love for my fellow man right now, lemme just go ahead and tell ya. :x [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAAIUIG1jmaAOv948W6vZ0oK4KwWccaFlPKYwtfyGQQB2nbMglqw[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAAIYIMVg5XUDGD4a9raqr1hhSK7DwjydmzCPBIj5sOFShbTlkTw[/img]

Oooooohhh, I'm liking the lawnmower idea! If you have power tools, turn them ALL on! :o

Hey, where did my sh*t go?? :o Oh... JESS! :x

While I was out doing my thang last night, Pauly bit my husband. Some of you remember Pauly... Standard Poodle, was in a rescue group then spent a year as an outside dog with someone else before finally coming here. He was four years old when we got him. Sweet dog, not inherently aggressive (not a resource guarder, doesn't chase people or cats or other dogs, very friendly with strangers, outgoing and not timid). He just reacts to things he perceives as threats which used to include upraised hands, brooms, popping towels (we sometimes use a towel to "shoosh" away mosquitoes if we have one in our hands), anything you "waved" at him "menacingly" (his perception). We've worked on de-sensitizing him, and he has done wonderfully. I can "hit" him with a belt, crutches, all sorts of objects because I've done it a lot and made it a "game" so that he wouldn't feel threatened by things. I've poked, popped, slugged, and I don't know what else to this dog so much, he doesn't even care, anymore. Bear in mind that I treat it as a game. To hit this dog with a belt, you would think I've just given him a big steak... it's been such a game to him that he LIVES to see a belt come out. I never want him to have to fear human hands or any object they carry. I've bragged on him from time to time since he's done so well. From what I'm told, Pauly was barking last night, and my husband tried to hush him by telling him to "knock it off" and "that's enough." Pretty basic stuff in our house. Hubby had a towel and apparently, like a total dumbarse, "snapped" Pauly with it. In the moment, he just didn't think about it. I think the phone was ringing or something, and he wanted them to quiet down kind of quickly. Usually, for quick quiet downs, a water bottle does the trick. Anyway, Pauly didn't see the humor in the towel snapping and charged my husband when he turned to walk off, and bit him pretty near his butt, upper thigh. It broke the skin enough to be substantial, but he wasn't mauled up or anything. I'm just so angry with my husband for his lapse of good judgment at the time. He should have known better. Pauly has just kind of skulked around all day. Great... I wonder if we're going to have to start all over. He was doing so well. I never, ever want him to think he can't trust us, and in one stupid move, my husband blew it. He didn't mean any harm... he wasn't trying to actually hit Pauly with the towel (and I do believe that). He was just trying to quiet him down, but Pauly totally took it as a threat, I reckon, and reacted. Back to square one. Time to re-train hubby. :x

When people start defending themselves with something like, "why should I listen to a 15 year old child?" (paraphrased), they lose credibility, IMO. This person might as well just stick her fingers in her ears and hum loudly. What an idiot. Have you ever noticed that the smarter some people TRY to sound, the more idiotic they appear? If the best this person can come up with is that they have nothing to learn from someone younger, she(?) obviously has no kind of debating skills. She wouldn't last a day here! :o Some of her posts are just really annoying... "So if you'll forgive me for disregarding the opinion of a 15 yr old child..." "I'd appreciate if you e-mailed it and kept the highschool drama off the forum." "I am very well educated, thank-you." Oh, vomit, gag, and wretch. Basically, the best thing she can come up with is totally trying to undermine someone solely because of their age. Sounds like a "well educated" person to me. :roll:

Glad the knobhead got caught. The cop should have made him pick up the poo bare handed. :P

[quote name='courtnek']ok "fuzz" trivia....without CHEATING and looking it up, who can tell me where the word COP originally came from? 8)[/quote] Citizens On Patrol, of course! You know, from one of the Police Academy movies! Do I win?? :D

I'd probably make a deliberate effort to let them know they'd p*ssed me off with their self centeredness and unrealistic expectations by saying something like, "I think I'm going to be sick that week... yes, I'm sure of it." Fortunately, there's a cure for what ails you. Nobody should put up with that kind of crap. [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0WwDrAqAdkYVsPu0F9qHrmLi!u8ygrpFBicMOje3EZ1*fZhl5U3Nqcchx60Aj*yJ8UPB!HkJ0NP5Y5rfmYOHc7BC0HCrvpk1tfBoApa6Efc4!Obh!lw453tf1ZJaGFSffvjnoKwKGmZ4/Fukidol.jpg?dc=4675535303761788839[/img]

I came across this slideshow. Some people think the colored Poodles and creative grooming competitions are kind of neat, some think they're stupid, and some like watching in sort of the same fashion as one would view a wreck... don't like it, but can't look away. Anyway, I really, REALLY like the Budweiser "Clydesdale." :D [url]http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6g0e9pp.5s7uebwd&x=0&y=-m09f4n[/url]

DP, I agree that it's important to give people options when they can't afford "proper" (for lack of a better word) care. That's why I didn't go there with "people shouldn't have dogs if they can't afford them." I think that's a loaded statement, and there are a lot of grey areas. However, and again I'm not a tech, nor have I worked in but one vet clinic, I've just never known our vet to send a pup home with parvo unless it was a money issue, or unless it was going home into the very capable hands of someone experienced in dealing with it. I was just curious about whether or not it happens a lot with other vets because it's very surprising to me. I wasn't questioning anyone's ethics. :)

AAP, I don't mean to offend when I ask this, but when the vet sent them home with fluids and stuff, was it a money matter? I mean, I'm just trying to ask if the vet would RATHER have hospitalized them and put them on IV fluids, or if they did the next best thing with the scenario presented to them? In our clinic (and admittedly, I'm not a tech), any time I've seen parvo, the vet has always wanted to admit the dog for intensive treatment, sending them home with meds and stuff as a second, less preferred, method of treatment when people can't afford the expensive hospitalization. It's not to say dogs can't make it at home. I just didn't realize vets would send home a parvo dog, barring any owner objections (like money).

Here's my opinion, for what it's worth... When it comes to small children, I don't really care WHY a dog bites. I can think of a lot of things that can be done differently... NILIF, getting the dog off the bed, basically rehabilitation and demotion. If it were older children or adults, I'd think about it, but a small child, still nearly a baby? I know this goes against what a lot of people believe, but I wouldn't give it a chance to happen again. My opinion is based on the face value of this post, assuming no other factors. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. :(

I thought parvo was usually handled with some pretty intensive hospitalization! And "most likely" parvo... they can know for sure if it is or isn't! Did they actually test for parvo, or do a fecal to check for any parasites? I don't know anything about any special food for parvo :-? , but if you're doing this at home (going on the assumption that it is indeed parvo), the most important thing I can think of is hydration. Force fluids if you need to (and you probably will). Dehydration and death is a very real threat. I'd go for Pedialyte over water, but at LEAST plenty of water. Parvo is quite serious! I'd also make sure to have the pup confined to an area that's easily cleaned. Some non-porous surface that can be bleached. An oversized crate, or bathroom or kitchen floor. Parvo can linger on porous surfaces (or the ground even) for quite a while. I wouldn't even let the pup loose in the yard at all... if she goes out at all, I'd keep her confined to ONE small area on leash, and keep that area thoroughly cleaned. Be aware that it's going to be messy and require diligence on your part. This pup will need around the clock care. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping the pup hydrated with fluids, even through the night. I hope that one of the "shots" she got was maybe some sub-q fluids to get her going. I'm going to assume that the reason the vet isn't doing more intensive care is money issues. With that in mind, it's YOUR responsibility to give this baby around the clock care. I'd just set up camp right next to her, and live there until she's better. Someone needs to be with her 24/7. Good luck with this.

Court, I swear from reading some of your stories that your area is saturated with jerks. I mean, can that many a**holes all live in ONE localized area? I don't know how you put up with it as much as you do. :o Screw the busybody and the high horse she rode in on. :P

[quote]"There was an incident. It only happened once that I know of and I have taken corrective action," said City Manager Dan Nick. "The individual is going to be going to classes with animal control and we'll be writing up a policy so nothing out of the ordinary happens again." Nick declined to name the person who was disciplined or confirm details of the episode, which he described as "a freak incident, a one-time bad decision."[/quote] I wonder what "corrective action" was taken other than "classes." Do you [b]really[/b] need classes to know that drowning dogs is not an acceptable form of euthanasia? "A one-time bad decision" is, IMO, demeaning and plays down the incident. It makes it sound like "whoopsies... sorry about that whole dog drowning thing... didn't realize it was inhumane." I believe the people in charge, from the one(s) who ordered it and ok'd it to the one(s) who carried it out, should be charged with some form of cruelty, or at least removed from the positions they're in. At the very least, get them on the technicality that they broke the law by euthanizing illegally. If they can make a "one-time bad decision" like this, who knows what else they're capable of? I'd be less angered about it if I'd read that it was a single bullet between the eyes, but drowning, and in a sewer pit at that... I can't imagine what kind of "classes" they need to see the problem in that.

Could be a heavy worm infestation, could be parvo. Either way, that puppy is likely in imminent danger of dying and needs medical attention ASAP. Is there a bill that could be put off a week, a friend or relative to borrow from, payday loan company, credit card, something you can pawn, a way to arrange payments with a vet (many will hold checks), anything to get this baby to a vet?

This little baby came in... the picture doesn't do him(?) justice because he was just a wee tiny thing. Anyway, somehow I got all into how I "know" someone that has a little deaf Boston that does agility, recognizes hand signals, blah blah blah (you'd have thought I was bragging on my OWN kids :roll: ). Your little girl was quite the object of fascination in south Georgia today. :wink: [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YQCfAmsfizGyVwlYq8jc6KgEz2plA1ignkr5RV9FpSevSz9SU1oMtS3IXRKikWQ3zp9OuyXBCyIK5e6ltnVwTqAcaM745GS3vw1CYaZYZHnv8K4UUkVrSn1Zmy7lHsajtnF!f83W4GPOJWvkeqQcCw/Boston%20baby.jpg?dc=4675534776814844180[/img]

I think that is too cool! I believe I could do it. I haven't accepted new clients in quite some time, but for you I'd make an exception. :P

[quote name='Carolk9s']The clerk barked out 'SIT' to him, I said "this dog is almost 14, he does not have to sit for cookies anymore! "[/quote] Love, love, love that! 8)

Congratulations and a big attaboy! :D