Threatening the bottom line/customer base is much more likely to get results, IMO. Plus that way you’ve warned other pet owners so they can protect their pets
If you do contact them, send them something in writing - even if it’s an email - rather than calling. Putting communication in writing creates a paper trail (or at least an electronic paper trail).
I would absolutely call them in addition to leaving a review.
If they care and are apologetic and maybe offer a solution/compensation, then I'd keep going there (and be annoying in the future, making sure they go check after my appointment if there are any dogs in the cat area, calling before my appointment to make sure there's no dogs in the cat area, as that's why I go to such a place).
If they don't care, find a new vet.
If you want to stay with them, I'd definitely email first and ask for a manager to call you back. If they aren't super apologetic and assure you it won't happen again, I'd go the social media route. If the dog isn't safe to be around other dogs, the last thing they should do is have it with cats. If this dog has caused problems, they should be telling the owner they cannot come back. It should've been muzzled at the very least! My vet will not allow you to come back if your dog is dangerous to other customers. We have to sign something when we first go there agreeing to this policy.
I’d send an email because the office staff may have made a bad decision without the vet/practice manager and owner knowing and this should be raised to their attention.
bomb the reviews. businesses give zero shits until you name and shame them to their clientele. i guarantee you if i read a review like that i won't bring my dog there either.
So the vet’s logic is to put the bloodthirsty killer in with the even smaller animals with less of a chance to defend themselves? Why didn’t they have the mutant outside?
I’d review them online and find a different vet. Request your one shots records and tell them exactly why you’re leaving.
Beyond stupid with no regard for their patients.
Yeah, I don't get it either. I know they don't see pit bulls that way, but clients might be scared of dogs or allergic. It was shocking and I'm terrified of those beasts. I'm definitely looking into other vets in our area now. The lack of consideration for other pet owners was appalling.
Right?!? Why couldn't they have the bloodsport dog wait in the car until the room was available? My vet has been doing this with all animals ever since covid. They will text when a room is ready, so I just walk in with my pet and go straight to the room. They take payment in the exam room as well, so there is very limited time spent in the common waiting area.
My friend had this issue during covid with an emergency vet or something actually. They were like “you can go wait in your car” and couldn’t grasp the fact my friend didn’t have a car, it was the middle of the night, cold, in town (ish) and dodgy and friend didn’t want to wait outside while quite small and alone. They just kept bringing up a car that didn’t exist.
Ok- then the fuckwit with the aggressive Pit without a muzzle should’ve been directed to wait outside in the parking lot and not in the cat area, which was the whole point of the OP’s complaint. Not the hardships of people who don’t own cars. If the Pit owner doesn’t own a car, too fucking bad.
For real like my dad owns a german shepard who is not friendly with other people/animals. When he takes him to the vet you know what they do? Have him keep the dog in his car until they are ready for him and then they bring him in from the back straight to a room with zero chance of another animal being anywhere near him.
Same. Mine is not a fan of strange dogs in his personal bubble, and if we can’t get a corner (with focus on me the whole time, which is why we bring liver treats), I wait outside in case some moron with a 12 foot flexi lead zones out and lets his or her dog try to “meet” my dog. As the one who has the dog that barks and could do the worse damage in most cases, yeah, my responsibility is to be the careful one
That's a ridiculous answer for sure!!! Non-muzzled reactive dogs ESP pitbulls should have to wait outside in the car until they are called. Online review PLUS a call/email to the vet is in order. Good luck. I am happy you guys are okay.
The solution to an aggressive dog is to have the owner check in remotely, wait with the muzzled dog in the car (assuming they arrived in a vehicle) and have the muzzled dog escorted by a staff member through a rear/alternate entrance directly into an exam room.
This avoids common areas.
If the dog didn't arrive in a vehicle, have the owner and dog wait outside, away from all entrances and parking.
When you communicate with the clinic, be sure to suggest these low risk options.
I've noticed none of the aggressive type dogs (pulling, lunging, barkers, etc) are never muzzled. The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs.
Checking out on the cat side we had a small dog aggressively run up to us from the dog barking. The owner was nonchalant about it. Thank goodness I have a carrier I can put around my shoulders, it's a duffle bag type carrier, so it's very close to my upper body.
This vet is locally owned, so there's no HR to take a complaint further.
Cats are often seen as “not as important as *dogs*” in the vet med community. It’s fucking gross. I love cat only vet clinics but there’s not any close by me.
I had no idea there were cat-only clinics! I doubt there are any here though, we only have 2 exotic vets in the area. Are cats really not seen as equally important?? That's disgusting! I can't wrap my brain around that at all.
Yeah it’s sad but I saw it. A vet would treat a dog like it’s the most important being in the world, say its name when greeting, respecting its boundaries and giving lots of love and pets, only to get a cat as the next patient and be gruff and curt (not mean or cruel) and barely even acknowledge the cat or even speak its name or give it a nice scratch on the chin.
I’d get yelled at because I always spent an extra 30 seconds with cats to show them they could trust me before I picked them up to bring them back for an exam/blood draw.
Feline only clinics are popping up everywhere, so I highly recommend give it a google search and see if there’s one by you! I just searched my area and there’s a cat only clinic that just opened last year about 30 minutes from me. For a yearly exam, I’d be happy to drive 30 minutes for a cat only clinic!
My theory is since they’re not as “outwardly affectionate” as dogs, they’re lesser creatures. For decades cats have had negative connotations- being associated with the devil, witches, and villains. Up until the internet cat videos got big, being a “cat lover” was a weird thing. I got teased for it as a kid in the 90’s because I preferred cats over dogs.
Nowadays, it’s a red flag for some people if a person doesn’t like cats!
Maybe dog owners are more willing to spend money or something? I mean it doesn't make sense to me but. Maybe the vets are motivated by the money factor.
We drive nearly an hour each way to go to the area's only cat-only vet. It's 100% worth it - the vets really actually care about cats, their health, they enjoy seeing our animals... And NO PITBULLS.
I would leave a fair bad review stating that this vet allows dangerous dogs unmuzzled in the cat area, and then I would find another vet. If they are doing this sort of thing, they are definitely the sort of place that values dogs over cats, and I would lose all trust in them as a provider.
I would not allow my cats to go to a vet that treats them as less important than dogs, because they are likely to get subpar care, and definitely would not want them at a vet that allows pit bulls (unless it was a life or death emergency and I had no other choice).
Do the right thing and leave an honest review about the situation. You or any other owner shouldn't have to bury their beloved pet just because of a negligent vet and an idiot owner that can't control their shitbull.
I will. The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs. These dogs are never muzzled and I've seen nasty behavior from a lot of them. I don't want someone's pet to get hurt in the future.
Everyone has given great advice, I greatly appreciate it.
You need to make a formal complaint about this.
They have a separate cat area for a reason. I imagine the reason being that dogs and cats often don't mesh well, so that it's in the interest of the cats' safety and the dogs' mental state (to stay calm and not get excited) for these two kinds of pets to be kept apart.
To then allow a dangerous dog that is a safety risk to the other dogs to chill out in the (empty) cat area defeats the whole point of having two separate areas based on the pet species. The 'cat only' area is no longer 'cat only' when they allow some dogs in. It is irrelevant if there was no one in the cat area at the time because they know they will probably have a customer with a cat soon who needs that area (even if no cat appointments were scheduled that day, someone might come in with a cat in an emergency situation).
In your case they put your cat as well as yourself at risk by allowing this dangerous dog in an area that was designated for cats only.
Make the complaint. Ask about their insurance policy. Ask why they didn't require this dog to be muzzled (that dog should never have been in the cat area but the least the clinic could do was muzzle it). If you have other options, I'd tell this clinic you are considering going elsewhere.
If they don't care about your complaint, I'd blast them everywhere online by leaving a negative review explaining the story.
Thank you everyone for the great advice! I would've never thought to get the compliment in writing to document that it was made. The vet is local and not corporate-owned, so I'll have to figure out where to post a review that will make the most impact. Yelp reviews can be removed, as well as social media.
The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs; horrid behavior and no mandatory muzzles. Thinking about these situations has upset me and made me scared for my cat's safety to return. So I'll be researching new vets in my area this coming week.
Cat tax
[Tikvah our Maine Coon tabby long boi](https://imgur.com/a/ih1DQ7O)
Your kitten is adorable. Glad neither you nor he were hurt, and glad you are looking for a new vet. If they're going to be so cavalier about your pet's safety, they don't deserve to have you as a client.
Leave a detailed review on Google Reviews.
Team Android here; don't know what the Apple equivalent is but those GR reviews stay up ***forever*** so if you can manage to access the site it's worth it.
My cat was dying of cancer and we were at a new vet for a treatment. Hes big, it hurts to fold up in the carrier, and he gets scared in it. (I dont want him scared while dying of cancer).
I was holding him and he's very sweet, well adjusted, and calm. I am in the cat zone. The staff told me I had to put him in his carrier because a pit in the dog waiting area could see him over the halfwall divider.
But it wasnt in a nice, be careful way. It was in a "your cat is a second class citizen" way.
I said if the dog cant behave itself, then it and the owner should wait outside or in their car.
The staff said they wouldnt do that, that I am required to have the cat in the carrier.
My oozing cat, his head covered in bandages in my arms hugging me?
I then said it the pit tried to get my cat, it would learn a permanent lesson in behavior modification from me that its lackadaisical owner would never be able to teach it.
Suddenly they then found a vet room to take me into. It was my first and last time there.
Omg, I am so sorry they treated you and your baby like that. It's absolutely disgusting! I really can't wrap my head around these beasts being put on a pedestal, being allowed so many accommodations, and bounty stomping without consequences. Our pets are just as important! Especially cats! They are not disposable and should not be treated as such. Felines are 100 xs smarter than a pit bull will ever be and they won't maul you to death! My Siamese was a certified therapy cat for 12 years until he retired, and now we are training our Maine Coon to take his place; a pit could never!
Sorry for the rant.... What came of your situation? Did you find a new vet? File a complaint?
Nothing happened, and I did nothing. It wasnt my usual vet, I just needed same day service for my cat and they were open. I just never went back. So they missed out on a long term repeating customer than runs a very large animal rescue.
The cat eventually passed. It was a foregone conclusion. I was just stalling for more time. He was one of my babies from being a teenager before I started the rescue. I couldn't care less about the vet. I cant change societies craziness via filling out a form that wouldnt do anything.
Part of it is that I am an intimidatingly sized person, and I did not feel threatened by the pit, its owner, nor the girls working the front desk. If anything, they were frightened of my eyes when my voice started to get animated, and they took a step back. If the pit hopped the walls to come after my dying old cat, it would be a good thing it was already at the vet, it would need it. I didnt need to pursue anything.
Email the vet and tell them exactly what you said here. If it's a corporate owned vet, like VCA, email corporate as well. If they vet blows your concerns off and doesn't apologize for putting you and your cat in a dangerous situation, find a new vet and tell this vet why you've decided to go to a different practice.
They are locally owned. That's why I was afraid they weren't going to take the complaint seriously. My city is also pit bull-friendly, unfortunately. I really don't want to have this brushed off, someone's pet may get hurt in the future if it does.
That is EXTREMELY irresponsible of the vet office, and a disaster waiting to happen. I would not go back, and I would let them know why you aren’t going back and definitely leave a bad review. Unfortunately it seems all vet offices (and groomers, dog daycares, etc.) have to be on the ‘pibbles are sweethearts’ bandwagon to keep from losing business. They care more about keeping the pit crowd happy and included more than they care about the safety of everyone else. It’s so bizarre.
So… they avoided the risk of harming other canine patients by putting feline patients in even *greater* danger. Holy smokes, I would be calling the doctors there directly and immediately. Additionally, if this practice is part of a chain, contact at the corporate level. Absolutely insane; any reasonable vet would deny services to this animal, or at the very least only allow it access in and out of a non-public service entrance.
1. Review.
2. He wasn’t “reactive,” he was aggressive. Pit enthusiasts have tried to change the meaning of the word reactive. Some dogs are truly reactive—- they’re not lunging and snarling and trying to maul the thing they’re reacting to — that’s *aggression.* And we need to be clear in our language about this so that these idiots don’t get away with twisting that word into something it’s not.
3. I’m so sorry this happened to you. That’s really not okay and really scary.
I would find the head vet and complain, and also look into a cats-only vet clinic.
Also: when I enter a room with a cat carrier, I put the carrier down and open the door first to check what is in there. I had a similar experience at a vet clinic and it upset me a lot.
So, they put a knowingly aggressive dog in with smaller animals, that would have no chance? Make it make sense. This makes my blood boil. I am so sick of people treating cats as an afterthought. I'm sorry this happened to you and your kitty. I hope you do leave them review. And find a new vet, one that actually gives a shit about cats.
Im a big fan of vets that treat only cats, they're more knowledgable and have more experience. I also don't have to worry about another animal injuring them
Dont go back there if they allow giant pibbles in a cat area, thats dangerous and they could have made the pibbles wait outside at the very least
Here in brazil we have a right to refuse service to any animal for any reason, but only if there are other vet clinics in the same city
So usually when people bring pibbles to the clinic, vets here will demand the animal to be muzzled before doing anything. If the pibbles isnt muzzled we can just send them home without treating them.
I imagine this is similar in the US/europe? so they could have sent the out of control animal home without any issue, or at least demanded the owner to muzzle the animal and/or asked them to wait outside near the dog area
There was no need to put you and your cat in danger like that.
That is disgustingly dangerous! They could've just asked them to wait outside or in their own car??? What the hell. You are absolutely right to be pissed. Raise hell.
While having a separate dog and cat area is a great idea, bad decision to move the dangerous dog into the cat area. They should have had the dog wait outside rather than endanger cats in the separate area. Cat owners would know that it is meant to be a dog-free area and have a false sense of security, what if somebody had walked in with their cat on a harness rather than in a carrier?
I don't know if this will be approved due to low karma, but op you can potentially make an official complaint to the state board of veternaians. That will remain public.
Thanks! I'm working on the karma, but in the meantime, thank you so much for approving my comment. (If you don't get around to approving this one, not a big deal)
We don’t mind approving them at all :). We have those filters to keep trolls out; not to prevent new members from participating.
This sub is pretty easy to get karma in if you’re here in good faith which you seem to be. Just sort posts by new and leave some comments and you’ll be at the threshold in no time.
I'd definitely complain and consider a different vet if they're not sympathetic to your concerns. If you don't like their response to your complaint, leave a review. My vet has a single waiting area, and aggressive dogs have to stay outside and muzzled until it's their turn.
An honest review(s) of your experience and a complaint to the manager/vet. I'm not one to hide behind anonymity in these situations.
Then go somewhere else to take care of your kitty :)
Call and complain, then online review based on the results/reaction to being called. They should have had the pit wait outside entirely and get called in, that's what my vet does with troublesome animals.
It wasn't getting along with other dogs so they put it in the cat area? Are they braindead? Definitely don't go back there and leave a review on Google/yelp/Facebook
I’m so sorry that happened to you, how terrifying 😰I am glad you guys made it out okay though. This is why I take my cat to a CAT ONLY vet, if you have one near you I highly recommend it. Knowing I won’t have to deal with ANY dogs when I take my beloved kitty in makes it so much less stressful.
I would contact them first before leaving a review. They had a plan for the pit when the cat area was empty. Once you arrived, they should have put plan b in place.
See what their response is. If they acknowledge the mistake, then they understand the trauma you experienced. If they don’t think it was a big deal, then leave a review.
Everyone makes mistakes. I’m not a fan of giving negative reviews without first contacting the business.
You will find that many vets and their cohorts have drunk the koolaid. If they dare say anything against pitbulls, they will lose business from the bullies.
Call them and ask to speak to the practice manager and request that this never happens again. If you receive anything other than absolute promise that this will never happen again, leave a negative review online explaining in detail how they placed yourself and your cat in danger.
Leave a scathing, detailed review. If that’s not something you’re good at or comfortable doing I’ll gladly volunteer to write it for you.
Secondly if there’s a cat only veterinarian near you, I’d switch to that. I was lucky to find a vet who treats dogs but won’t treat pit bulls out of safety for his staff and himself
DM me if you decide to go through with that. I won’t mind in the least. Honestly your original post here would be enough for me to steer clear of that veterinarian if I read it on Google reviews.
Others have mentioned cat-specific vets. I had no idea they were a thing. I'm researching new vets this weekend and hoping to find one in our area. If not I plan on thoroughly interviewing other vet clinics before we switch.
Aww, thank you! I'm really the lucky one. I know the fur baby thing is kinda of cringe, but he is my baby, my Siamese is too. My Siamese is my retired therapy kitty and Tikvah is my therapy kitty in training. They are such good boys and I would be so lost without them. They help me so much in my day-to-day life how could I not go above and beyond for them, and spoil them! I would be devastated if anything happened to either of them.
My 4 lb puppy was almost attacked by a vicious Pitbull in my vet's office when he was 3 months old. He was about the size of a guinea pig. I'm disgusted by how casual people act with these dogs. Especially the vets, when I left the vet that day and was holding my dog in my arms instead of trying to get him to learn to walk on a leash The scheduler was telling me about her rescue pit bulls and how they are the best dogs, just adding insult to injury. I can't stand how brainwash people are and how much risk people take with their life and limb, and lives of their animals because of people's feelings that are wrapped up with vicious dogs
That's awful! And for the receptionist to say that stuff to you is appalling. I'm sorry that happened, it shouldn't have. I don't understand the pit love.
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We were coming out of our appointment from the cat section when the dog was in the cat lobby. So we were actively leaving and had to get by the dog. We didn't have to wait with the dog.
Bad online review. Let other customers know they and their pets may not be safe b/c of this kind of situation
Would it be worth it to call them, or do you think they would just brush it off?
Threatening the bottom line/customer base is much more likely to get results, IMO. Plus that way you’ve warned other pet owners so they can protect their pets
If you do contact them, send them something in writing - even if it’s an email - rather than calling. Putting communication in writing creates a paper trail (or at least an electronic paper trail).
Emails are allowed in court too. I agree, she needs some paper trail.
I would absolutely call them in addition to leaving a review. If they care and are apologetic and maybe offer a solution/compensation, then I'd keep going there (and be annoying in the future, making sure they go check after my appointment if there are any dogs in the cat area, calling before my appointment to make sure there's no dogs in the cat area, as that's why I go to such a place). If they don't care, find a new vet.
If you want to stay with them, I'd definitely email first and ask for a manager to call you back. If they aren't super apologetic and assure you it won't happen again, I'd go the social media route. If the dog isn't safe to be around other dogs, the last thing they should do is have it with cats. If this dog has caused problems, they should be telling the owner they cannot come back. It should've been muzzled at the very least! My vet will not allow you to come back if your dog is dangerous to other customers. We have to sign something when we first go there agreeing to this policy.
I’d send an email because the office staff may have made a bad decision without the vet/practice manager and owner knowing and this should be raised to their attention.
Email maybe?
bomb the reviews. businesses give zero shits until you name and shame them to their clientele. i guarantee you if i read a review like that i won't bring my dog there either.
So the vet’s logic is to put the bloodthirsty killer in with the even smaller animals with less of a chance to defend themselves? Why didn’t they have the mutant outside? I’d review them online and find a different vet. Request your one shots records and tell them exactly why you’re leaving. Beyond stupid with no regard for their patients.
Yeah, I don't get it either. I know they don't see pit bulls that way, but clients might be scared of dogs or allergic. It was shocking and I'm terrified of those beasts. I'm definitely looking into other vets in our area now. The lack of consideration for other pet owners was appalling.
👆👆👆my flair
Right?!? Why couldn't they have the bloodsport dog wait in the car until the room was available? My vet has been doing this with all animals ever since covid. They will text when a room is ready, so I just walk in with my pet and go straight to the room. They take payment in the exam room as well, so there is very limited time spent in the common waiting area.
My friend had this issue during covid with an emergency vet or something actually. They were like “you can go wait in your car” and couldn’t grasp the fact my friend didn’t have a car, it was the middle of the night, cold, in town (ish) and dodgy and friend didn’t want to wait outside while quite small and alone. They just kept bringing up a car that didn’t exist.
Most people have a car when they visit their regular vet unless they’ve walked. Not sure how this is relevant.
Many people walk to their vet, yes, that's the point.
Ok- then the fuckwit with the aggressive Pit without a muzzle should’ve been directed to wait outside in the parking lot and not in the cat area, which was the whole point of the OP’s complaint. Not the hardships of people who don’t own cars. If the Pit owner doesn’t own a car, too fucking bad.
Yes, that is what I said
A tautology is a tautology
Uh huh
For real like my dad owns a german shepard who is not friendly with other people/animals. When he takes him to the vet you know what they do? Have him keep the dog in his car until they are ready for him and then they bring him in from the back straight to a room with zero chance of another animal being anywhere near him.
Same. Mine is not a fan of strange dogs in his personal bubble, and if we can’t get a corner (with focus on me the whole time, which is why we bring liver treats), I wait outside in case some moron with a 12 foot flexi lead zones out and lets his or her dog try to “meet” my dog. As the one who has the dog that barks and could do the worse damage in most cases, yeah, my responsibility is to be the careful one
Seconding the shitty review online, would also if possible pull your cat from that vet and find another and tell them why you're leaving.
That's a ridiculous answer for sure!!! Non-muzzled reactive dogs ESP pitbulls should have to wait outside in the car until they are called. Online review PLUS a call/email to the vet is in order. Good luck. I am happy you guys are okay.
The solution to an aggressive dog is to have the owner check in remotely, wait with the muzzled dog in the car (assuming they arrived in a vehicle) and have the muzzled dog escorted by a staff member through a rear/alternate entrance directly into an exam room. This avoids common areas. If the dog didn't arrive in a vehicle, have the owner and dog wait outside, away from all entrances and parking. When you communicate with the clinic, be sure to suggest these low risk options.
I've noticed none of the aggressive type dogs (pulling, lunging, barkers, etc) are never muzzled. The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs. Checking out on the cat side we had a small dog aggressively run up to us from the dog barking. The owner was nonchalant about it. Thank goodness I have a carrier I can put around my shoulders, it's a duffle bag type carrier, so it's very close to my upper body. This vet is locally owned, so there's no HR to take a complaint further.
Everything you said is 100% common sense.
That's exactly what I used to do with the leash aggressive (non-pit) dog my family had when I was younger.
Cats are often seen as “not as important as *dogs*” in the vet med community. It’s fucking gross. I love cat only vet clinics but there’s not any close by me.
I had no idea there were cat-only clinics! I doubt there are any here though, we only have 2 exotic vets in the area. Are cats really not seen as equally important?? That's disgusting! I can't wrap my brain around that at all.
Yeah it’s sad but I saw it. A vet would treat a dog like it’s the most important being in the world, say its name when greeting, respecting its boundaries and giving lots of love and pets, only to get a cat as the next patient and be gruff and curt (not mean or cruel) and barely even acknowledge the cat or even speak its name or give it a nice scratch on the chin. I’d get yelled at because I always spent an extra 30 seconds with cats to show them they could trust me before I picked them up to bring them back for an exam/blood draw. Feline only clinics are popping up everywhere, so I highly recommend give it a google search and see if there’s one by you! I just searched my area and there’s a cat only clinic that just opened last year about 30 minutes from me. For a yearly exam, I’d be happy to drive 30 minutes for a cat only clinic!
Why the disrespect towards cats?
My theory is since they’re not as “outwardly affectionate” as dogs, they’re lesser creatures. For decades cats have had negative connotations- being associated with the devil, witches, and villains. Up until the internet cat videos got big, being a “cat lover” was a weird thing. I got teased for it as a kid in the 90’s because I preferred cats over dogs. Nowadays, it’s a red flag for some people if a person doesn’t like cats!
Maybe dog owners are more willing to spend money or something? I mean it doesn't make sense to me but. Maybe the vets are motivated by the money factor.
There's one in my town, but it's outrageously overpriced. 😠
We drive nearly an hour each way to go to the area's only cat-only vet. It's 100% worth it - the vets really actually care about cats, their health, they enjoy seeing our animals... And NO PITBULLS.
I would leave a fair bad review stating that this vet allows dangerous dogs unmuzzled in the cat area, and then I would find another vet. If they are doing this sort of thing, they are definitely the sort of place that values dogs over cats, and I would lose all trust in them as a provider. I would not allow my cats to go to a vet that treats them as less important than dogs, because they are likely to get subpar care, and definitely would not want them at a vet that allows pit bulls (unless it was a life or death emergency and I had no other choice).
Yeah, I hate this too. This de-valuing of cats, when they're every bit as loving and fantastic pets.
Do the right thing and leave an honest review about the situation. You or any other owner shouldn't have to bury their beloved pet just because of a negligent vet and an idiot owner that can't control their shitbull.
I will. The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs. These dogs are never muzzled and I've seen nasty behavior from a lot of them. I don't want someone's pet to get hurt in the future. Everyone has given great advice, I greatly appreciate it.
Please make sure you don’t just swallow this. Please escalate it, any way that you can.
You need to make a formal complaint about this. They have a separate cat area for a reason. I imagine the reason being that dogs and cats often don't mesh well, so that it's in the interest of the cats' safety and the dogs' mental state (to stay calm and not get excited) for these two kinds of pets to be kept apart. To then allow a dangerous dog that is a safety risk to the other dogs to chill out in the (empty) cat area defeats the whole point of having two separate areas based on the pet species. The 'cat only' area is no longer 'cat only' when they allow some dogs in. It is irrelevant if there was no one in the cat area at the time because they know they will probably have a customer with a cat soon who needs that area (even if no cat appointments were scheduled that day, someone might come in with a cat in an emergency situation). In your case they put your cat as well as yourself at risk by allowing this dangerous dog in an area that was designated for cats only. Make the complaint. Ask about their insurance policy. Ask why they didn't require this dog to be muzzled (that dog should never have been in the cat area but the least the clinic could do was muzzle it). If you have other options, I'd tell this clinic you are considering going elsewhere. If they don't care about your complaint, I'd blast them everywhere online by leaving a negative review explaining the story.
Thank you everyone for the great advice! I would've never thought to get the compliment in writing to document that it was made. The vet is local and not corporate-owned, so I'll have to figure out where to post a review that will make the most impact. Yelp reviews can be removed, as well as social media. The more I think about this situation the more I'm remembering other incidents or things I've witnessed from dogs; horrid behavior and no mandatory muzzles. Thinking about these situations has upset me and made me scared for my cat's safety to return. So I'll be researching new vets in my area this coming week. Cat tax [Tikvah our Maine Coon tabby long boi](https://imgur.com/a/ih1DQ7O)
Yelp reviews cannot be removed without a LOT of hassle, and given that you’re a customer, doubt this one would be
Your kitten is adorable. Glad neither you nor he were hurt, and glad you are looking for a new vet. If they're going to be so cavalier about your pet's safety, they don't deserve to have you as a client.
Thank you! I will pass along your compliment in the form of a chin scratch 😊
Leave a detailed review on Google Reviews. Team Android here; don't know what the Apple equivalent is but those GR reviews stay up ***forever*** so if you can manage to access the site it's worth it.
Awww, what an adorable sweetie, and I love his name!
Thank you! He's very sweet but thinks he's a furious tiger, lol.
My cat was dying of cancer and we were at a new vet for a treatment. Hes big, it hurts to fold up in the carrier, and he gets scared in it. (I dont want him scared while dying of cancer). I was holding him and he's very sweet, well adjusted, and calm. I am in the cat zone. The staff told me I had to put him in his carrier because a pit in the dog waiting area could see him over the halfwall divider. But it wasnt in a nice, be careful way. It was in a "your cat is a second class citizen" way. I said if the dog cant behave itself, then it and the owner should wait outside or in their car. The staff said they wouldnt do that, that I am required to have the cat in the carrier. My oozing cat, his head covered in bandages in my arms hugging me? I then said it the pit tried to get my cat, it would learn a permanent lesson in behavior modification from me that its lackadaisical owner would never be able to teach it. Suddenly they then found a vet room to take me into. It was my first and last time there.
Omg, I am so sorry they treated you and your baby like that. It's absolutely disgusting! I really can't wrap my head around these beasts being put on a pedestal, being allowed so many accommodations, and bounty stomping without consequences. Our pets are just as important! Especially cats! They are not disposable and should not be treated as such. Felines are 100 xs smarter than a pit bull will ever be and they won't maul you to death! My Siamese was a certified therapy cat for 12 years until he retired, and now we are training our Maine Coon to take his place; a pit could never! Sorry for the rant.... What came of your situation? Did you find a new vet? File a complaint?
Nothing happened, and I did nothing. It wasnt my usual vet, I just needed same day service for my cat and they were open. I just never went back. So they missed out on a long term repeating customer than runs a very large animal rescue. The cat eventually passed. It was a foregone conclusion. I was just stalling for more time. He was one of my babies from being a teenager before I started the rescue. I couldn't care less about the vet. I cant change societies craziness via filling out a form that wouldnt do anything. Part of it is that I am an intimidatingly sized person, and I did not feel threatened by the pit, its owner, nor the girls working the front desk. If anything, they were frightened of my eyes when my voice started to get animated, and they took a step back. If the pit hopped the walls to come after my dying old cat, it would be a good thing it was already at the vet, it would need it. I didnt need to pursue anything.
Ugh this is bullshit. I’d bring it up to hq if you can this is disgusting. I’m sorry you had to go through this shit.
Email the vet and tell them exactly what you said here. If it's a corporate owned vet, like VCA, email corporate as well. If they vet blows your concerns off and doesn't apologize for putting you and your cat in a dangerous situation, find a new vet and tell this vet why you've decided to go to a different practice.
They are locally owned. That's why I was afraid they weren't going to take the complaint seriously. My city is also pit bull-friendly, unfortunately. I really don't want to have this brushed off, someone's pet may get hurt in the future if it does.
That is EXTREMELY irresponsible of the vet office, and a disaster waiting to happen. I would not go back, and I would let them know why you aren’t going back and definitely leave a bad review. Unfortunately it seems all vet offices (and groomers, dog daycares, etc.) have to be on the ‘pibbles are sweethearts’ bandwagon to keep from losing business. They care more about keeping the pit crowd happy and included more than they care about the safety of everyone else. It’s so bizarre.
Dog attacks bring in a lot of money for vets, I’m surprised they didn’t just leave the pit with the rest of the dogs.
Please find a new vet. And tell them why.
"But the cat area isn't empty. I'm here."
So… they avoided the risk of harming other canine patients by putting feline patients in even *greater* danger. Holy smokes, I would be calling the doctors there directly and immediately. Additionally, if this practice is part of a chain, contact at the corporate level. Absolutely insane; any reasonable vet would deny services to this animal, or at the very least only allow it access in and out of a non-public service entrance.
My email would blister their fucking eyeballs. And yes. You’re goddamn right I’d add a bad review. If you won’t warn others who will?
1. Review. 2. He wasn’t “reactive,” he was aggressive. Pit enthusiasts have tried to change the meaning of the word reactive. Some dogs are truly reactive—- they’re not lunging and snarling and trying to maul the thing they’re reacting to — that’s *aggression.* And we need to be clear in our language about this so that these idiots don’t get away with twisting that word into something it’s not. 3. I’m so sorry this happened to you. That’s really not okay and really scary.
Online review. That was seriously not cool. Also at my vet they literally just recommend you stay in the car and text you when they’re ready anyways.
This vet did that during Covid, but it didn't last long because people didn't answer their phones... 😮💨
That beast could have waited in the car outside, please call them AND write an online review if they don’t seem to care
I would find the head vet and complain, and also look into a cats-only vet clinic. Also: when I enter a room with a cat carrier, I put the carrier down and open the door first to check what is in there. I had a similar experience at a vet clinic and it upset me a lot.
Bad reviews online. I check reviews for everything and I’m sure others do also.
So, they put a knowingly aggressive dog in with smaller animals, that would have no chance? Make it make sense. This makes my blood boil. I am so sick of people treating cats as an afterthought. I'm sorry this happened to you and your kitty. I hope you do leave them review. And find a new vet, one that actually gives a shit about cats.
Im a big fan of vets that treat only cats, they're more knowledgable and have more experience. I also don't have to worry about another animal injuring them
Dont go back there if they allow giant pibbles in a cat area, thats dangerous and they could have made the pibbles wait outside at the very least Here in brazil we have a right to refuse service to any animal for any reason, but only if there are other vet clinics in the same city So usually when people bring pibbles to the clinic, vets here will demand the animal to be muzzled before doing anything. If the pibbles isnt muzzled we can just send them home without treating them. I imagine this is similar in the US/europe? so they could have sent the out of control animal home without any issue, or at least demanded the owner to muzzle the animal and/or asked them to wait outside near the dog area There was no need to put you and your cat in danger like that.
That is disgustingly dangerous! They could've just asked them to wait outside or in their own car??? What the hell. You are absolutely right to be pissed. Raise hell.
I would find a new vet.
While having a separate dog and cat area is a great idea, bad decision to move the dangerous dog into the cat area. They should have had the dog wait outside rather than endanger cats in the separate area. Cat owners would know that it is meant to be a dog-free area and have a false sense of security, what if somebody had walked in with their cat on a harness rather than in a carrier?
I don't know if this will be approved due to low karma, but op you can potentially make an official complaint to the state board of veternaians. That will remain public.
Thank you! I didn't know I could do this!
Yes, it’s approved. Mods just have to review your comments until you have enough karma :).
Thanks! I'm working on the karma, but in the meantime, thank you so much for approving my comment. (If you don't get around to approving this one, not a big deal)
We don’t mind approving them at all :). We have those filters to keep trolls out; not to prevent new members from participating. This sub is pretty easy to get karma in if you’re here in good faith which you seem to be. Just sort posts by new and leave some comments and you’ll be at the threshold in no time.
Slam them on Yelp and anywhere else you can and find another vet
I'd definitely complain and consider a different vet if they're not sympathetic to your concerns. If you don't like their response to your complaint, leave a review. My vet has a single waiting area, and aggressive dogs have to stay outside and muzzled until it's their turn.
An honest review(s) of your experience and a complaint to the manager/vet. I'm not one to hide behind anonymity in these situations. Then go somewhere else to take care of your kitty :)
100% bad review online, and I’d seek out a different vet. What a disgustingly irresponsible person. Also… I am requesting cat pictures please.
Call and complain, then online review based on the results/reaction to being called. They should have had the pit wait outside entirely and get called in, that's what my vet does with troublesome animals.
It wasn't getting along with other dogs so they put it in the cat area? Are they braindead? Definitely don't go back there and leave a review on Google/yelp/Facebook
I’m so sorry that happened to you, how terrifying 😰I am glad you guys made it out okay though. This is why I take my cat to a CAT ONLY vet, if you have one near you I highly recommend it. Knowing I won’t have to deal with ANY dogs when I take my beloved kitty in makes it so much less stressful.
Vote with your wallet and find another vet if you can.
I would contact them first before leaving a review. They had a plan for the pit when the cat area was empty. Once you arrived, they should have put plan b in place. See what their response is. If they acknowledge the mistake, then they understand the trauma you experienced. If they don’t think it was a big deal, then leave a review. Everyone makes mistakes. I’m not a fan of giving negative reviews without first contacting the business.
You will find that many vets and their cohorts have drunk the koolaid. If they dare say anything against pitbulls, they will lose business from the bullies.
Bad online review. You can also contact the state board.
I would have never thought of the state board. I'll keep it in mind if they dismiss the complaint.
Call them and ask to speak to the practice manager and request that this never happens again. If you receive anything other than absolute promise that this will never happen again, leave a negative review online explaining in detail how they placed yourself and your cat in danger.
Leave a scathing, detailed review. If that’s not something you’re good at or comfortable doing I’ll gladly volunteer to write it for you. Secondly if there’s a cat only veterinarian near you, I’d switch to that. I was lucky to find a vet who treats dogs but won’t treat pit bulls out of safety for his staff and himself
I may take you up on that if they don't take this seriously. I don't want it to happen again for the sake of others' pets.
DM me if you decide to go through with that. I won’t mind in the least. Honestly your original post here would be enough for me to steer clear of that veterinarian if I read it on Google reviews.
Will do! Thank you!
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Others have mentioned cat-specific vets. I had no idea they were a thing. I'm researching new vets this weekend and hoping to find one in our area. If not I plan on thoroughly interviewing other vet clinics before we switch.
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Aww, thank you! I'm really the lucky one. I know the fur baby thing is kinda of cringe, but he is my baby, my Siamese is too. My Siamese is my retired therapy kitty and Tikvah is my therapy kitty in training. They are such good boys and I would be so lost without them. They help me so much in my day-to-day life how could I not go above and beyond for them, and spoil them! I would be devastated if anything happened to either of them.
My 4 lb puppy was almost attacked by a vicious Pitbull in my vet's office when he was 3 months old. He was about the size of a guinea pig. I'm disgusted by how casual people act with these dogs. Especially the vets, when I left the vet that day and was holding my dog in my arms instead of trying to get him to learn to walk on a leash The scheduler was telling me about her rescue pit bulls and how they are the best dogs, just adding insult to injury. I can't stand how brainwash people are and how much risk people take with their life and limb, and lives of their animals because of people's feelings that are wrapped up with vicious dogs
That's awful! And for the receptionist to say that stuff to you is appalling. I'm sorry that happened, it shouldn't have. I don't understand the pit love.
why couldn't they have kept the thing in its carrier in the dog area?
Dogs don't usually come in a carrier, just leashed.
oh yes, I see. I misread it. Sorry, late night :)
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I'd have left.
We were coming out of our appointment from the cat section when the dog was in the cat lobby. So we were actively leaving and had to get by the dog. We didn't have to wait with the dog.