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Mistreatment of me and animals by Vet - Practise threatening to ban me 4 complaining.
I've been with a vet for several years and overall have been happy with their care of my pets.
Last year they euthanised a jackdaw that I was caring for, I felt they were making a mistake and spoke with the vet on the phone (due to covid) and through sobs of tears begged (which I'm not proud of) for further investigations and any and all options to be explored instead, with me covering the cost. The newly qualified vet was insistent that euthanisation was the only option and I hung up thoroughly defeated. I was polite despite being extremely upset when I had spoken with the vet.
I later submitted a detailed 7 page complaint to the practises Clinical Director and asked her to review the case as I was concerned that the bird was wrongly euthanised. I received a letter defending the actions of the vet.
I decided not to escalate the complaint because I had to think about the future care of my other animals and as mentioned I'm very happy with the practise aside from that one incident.
Fast forward a year later, I now have a none release blackbird in my permanent care. I took him to the practise and was horrified by the way he was handled by the vet (different to the previous) - she managed to pull 4 of his 6 tail feathers out and handled him so roughly that a further bunch of feathers littered the floor. (All of which I collected up and have).
I politely excused myself and took my bird outside and telephoned another practise.
The vet called me back inside and asked to speak with me, she dismissed her assistant and closed the door so we were alone. I felt uncomfortable so I recorded our conversation on my phone. I was very polite, explaining that I was upset about the way she had handled my bird, he was only 9 weeks old etc. She was very arrogant, she spoke over me a lot and tried to convince me that she had done nothing wrong. I was seated and she was standing, I spoke very softly and explained why I wanted to leave.
The short version is that we agreed that I would stay and allow her to x-ray the bird as long as I could remain with him at all times. As she was so persistent in stating that she had done nothing wrong, I told her that if she was concerned that I might complain, that she need not worry, because I was not intending to. Her response to this was to say that she didn't care if I complained as she receives many. I told her I did not find that very reassuring! Looking at her screen she said that she could see that there had been complaints from me in the past. I clarified there had only been one, and that I'd seen many vets over the years at the practise and never had reason to complain bar that once.
We did the X-Ray, we parted ways amicably and though I was very upset about the whole incident I decided to move on.
Today I have received a letter from the practise headed: 'Unacceptable behaviour' stating that I have 2 complaints against me for being rude to vets and accusing them of negligence. The letter rambles on about zero tolerance of abusive and violent behaviour (quite right). They advise that should there be any repetition of this "type" of behaviour I will be banned from all of their practises.
They do not know that I recorded the entire conversation with the vet who ripped the tail from my blackbird. I am very pleased to say that I was nothing but polite and calm.
I would like the practise to see and acknowledge the error of their ways, I am hopeful that once they have heard the recording I have of the conversation with this vet, that that will clear up the fact that I was in no way rude, abusive or violent! There was also CCTV all over the building and consulting room so I hope they will review this which will show the mishandling of my bird and also the very calm way in which I conducted myself.
I'd like to ask them for a sit down meeting for them to review the recording I have and to resolve this nonsense, so that I may continue to be a client but without their threat hanging over me, they're basically saying that if I complain about the malpractice of their vets I will be barred! It's absolutely outrageous.
With regard to the 'other' complaint (as there letter says there are 2 records of me being rude), I assume they're referring to the vet that euthanised the jackdaw, again, all their calls are supposedly recorded, so should they listen back to that call they'll hear me being an absolute heart broken blubbering mess, begging for the life of the bird, absolute no rudeness on my part.
How would you advise I move forward with this please?
I'd like some legal advice on the way I'm being persecuted by them with absolutely no good reason, what are my rights as a client of theirs? Many of their vets could give excellent testimony to the polite and friendly client I am and have always been.
I would also like a legal representative to attend a meeting with me should I get one with the practise. What kind of solicitor or legal person would you recommend for me to contact?
I don't want to take any legal action against this practise, but I want to sort out the gross injustice that is happening to me, and despite all of this I'd still like to be able to go there and see any of the other great vets, without these awful allegations from them hanging over me, which they've also advised have been recorded on my client records!
THANK YOU so much for taking the time to read this, I know it's long.
Cheers <3
Last year they euthanised a jackdaw that I was caring for, I felt they were making a mistake and spoke with the vet on the phone (due to covid) and through sobs of tears begged (which I'm not proud of) for further investigations and any and all options to be explored instead, with me covering the cost. The newly qualified vet was insistent that euthanisation was the only option and I hung up thoroughly defeated. I was polite despite being extremely upset when I had spoken with the vet.
I later submitted a detailed 7 page complaint to the practises Clinical Director and asked her to review the case as I was concerned that the bird was wrongly euthanised. I received a letter defending the actions of the vet.
I decided not to escalate the complaint because I had to think about the future care of my other animals and as mentioned I'm very happy with the practise aside from that one incident.
Fast forward a year later, I now have a none release blackbird in my permanent care. I took him to the practise and was horrified by the way he was handled by the vet (different to the previous) - she managed to pull 4 of his 6 tail feathers out and handled him so roughly that a further bunch of feathers littered the floor. (All of which I collected up and have).
I politely excused myself and took my bird outside and telephoned another practise.
The vet called me back inside and asked to speak with me, she dismissed her assistant and closed the door so we were alone. I felt uncomfortable so I recorded our conversation on my phone. I was very polite, explaining that I was upset about the way she had handled my bird, he was only 9 weeks old etc. She was very arrogant, she spoke over me a lot and tried to convince me that she had done nothing wrong. I was seated and she was standing, I spoke very softly and explained why I wanted to leave.
The short version is that we agreed that I would stay and allow her to x-ray the bird as long as I could remain with him at all times. As she was so persistent in stating that she had done nothing wrong, I told her that if she was concerned that I might complain, that she need not worry, because I was not intending to. Her response to this was to say that she didn't care if I complained as she receives many. I told her I did not find that very reassuring! Looking at her screen she said that she could see that there had been complaints from me in the past. I clarified there had only been one, and that I'd seen many vets over the years at the practise and never had reason to complain bar that once.
We did the X-Ray, we parted ways amicably and though I was very upset about the whole incident I decided to move on.
Today I have received a letter from the practise headed: 'Unacceptable behaviour' stating that I have 2 complaints against me for being rude to vets and accusing them of negligence. The letter rambles on about zero tolerance of abusive and violent behaviour (quite right). They advise that should there be any repetition of this "type" of behaviour I will be banned from all of their practises.
They do not know that I recorded the entire conversation with the vet who ripped the tail from my blackbird. I am very pleased to say that I was nothing but polite and calm.
I would like the practise to see and acknowledge the error of their ways, I am hopeful that once they have heard the recording I have of the conversation with this vet, that that will clear up the fact that I was in no way rude, abusive or violent! There was also CCTV all over the building and consulting room so I hope they will review this which will show the mishandling of my bird and also the very calm way in which I conducted myself.
I'd like to ask them for a sit down meeting for them to review the recording I have and to resolve this nonsense, so that I may continue to be a client but without their threat hanging over me, they're basically saying that if I complain about the malpractice of their vets I will be barred! It's absolutely outrageous.
With regard to the 'other' complaint (as there letter says there are 2 records of me being rude), I assume they're referring to the vet that euthanised the jackdaw, again, all their calls are supposedly recorded, so should they listen back to that call they'll hear me being an absolute heart broken blubbering mess, begging for the life of the bird, absolute no rudeness on my part.
How would you advise I move forward with this please?
I'd like some legal advice on the way I'm being persecuted by them with absolutely no good reason, what are my rights as a client of theirs? Many of their vets could give excellent testimony to the polite and friendly client I am and have always been.
I would also like a legal representative to attend a meeting with me should I get one with the practise. What kind of solicitor or legal person would you recommend for me to contact?
I don't want to take any legal action against this practise, but I want to sort out the gross injustice that is happening to me, and despite all of this I'd still like to be able to go there and see any of the other great vets, without these awful allegations from them hanging over me, which they've also advised have been recorded on my client records!
THANK YOU so much for taking the time to read this, I know it's long.
Cheers <3
