SINGAPORE: A woman who had an ill pet cat appeared to regret her decision to take it to a certain vet clinic, which she said refused to provide treatment until she paid a walk-in fee of $72.11.
A Ms Juliet Isabella was frustrated because she tried to call Ohana VetCare Clinic at Loyang Point numerous times in the early evening hours of Mar 3, but no one picked up the phone, she wrote in a Mar 7 (Tuesday) post on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page.
What seemed to make matters worse was the attitude of the clinic director.
After Ms Juliet had shown proof of her numerous attempts to call the clinic she wrote that “instead of been empathetic & apologetic” he “sarcastically mocked at me” saying “If you are not happy with our service, you can go & see another vet clinic. I don’t think you’ll pay the add-on walk-in fee.”
She also claimed that the doctor “immediately stood up & opened the clinic room door to chase (them) away. He would rather spent time insisting me to pay the add-on extra walk-in fee $$$ but never bother once to even take a look at my Hachi and check his condition to see if it’s an emergency case.”
“The fact that Doctor Francis prioritized on the extra fee payable to him rather than at least care about the condition of his animal patient made me doubt his professional ethnic code as a vet,” added Ms Juliet.
She had brought her cat, Hachi, to the vet due to inflammation and vomiting. And despite being unable to contact the clinic, they brought the cat there as it was only a 15-minute drive from their home.
When they arrived at 8:00 pm, they were charged the walk in fee, although Ms Juliet endeavored to explain that she had tried to call several times in advance.
“This is a vet clinic dealing with animal lives, how can they be so ‘uncontactable’?,” she wrote. “Don’t you think it’s strange that the vet clinic is so ‘Uncontactable’ for so long ? Especially they house sick pets at their clinic too. That’s so frustrating and wrong!”
She was then referred to the clinic director, whom she described this way: “He never once bother to ask me what happened to Hachi nor he has the care to take a look at Hachi for once. He only made it clear to me if I don’t pay the +++ extra walk-in fee $72.11, he will not see or treat Hachi at all. I’ve always been more than willing to pay for Hachi’s vet fee but I am skeptical about this whole incident.”
And when she asked how she could make an appointment when no one took her calls, she claimed the doctor did not answer her.
I asked Dr Francis “How do I even made an appointment at Ohana VetCare Clinic when no one even bother pick up my numerous calls?”
Ms Juliet ended her post by writing that the “crux of the whole incident” was the vet’s “unprofessional handling & rude attitude especially when he is the Boss of the clinic. He never told me the clinic is full. He never mentioned he will be treating Hachi out of operating hours that’s justified the walk-in fee $$$…
There are still 3 staffs around the counter when I just left the clinic. How busy is that no one pick up my calls ?”
The Independent Singapore has reached out to both Ms Juliet, who told us that Hachi has been seen at another vet clinic and is doing well.
We have also requested for comment from Ohana VetCare Clinic.
/TISG