My Vet Bill

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9 yrs ago

I am on a disability pension. I qualify for public housing, but even classed as "high Need" I was told I will probably die of old age (i'm only 59!) before I get a place. So i pay $560 out of my $930 pension for private rent. I live alone so have to live somewhere safe, and have a dog (who keeps me semi-sane) so that limits my choices. I can pay ONE bill per fortnight. This week it was the vet bill, which leaves me with 10c to last till next Monday.

Anyway the point - the vet told me today that my dog Chubba HAS to have surgery on his totally torn cruciate ligament or i risk him not walking. The other back leg was merely torn slightly and a 6month diet of sardines has hardened it so he can walk on it.

The surgery is $1300 (the vet will give me a dicount because i am a pensioner) Does anyone have any ideas how i can get the $1100??

I have probably only 3 weeks to do this. I already have a loan from Centrelink to pay for just 6 months on my car rego. when that is paid off it will be time to start again.

I have been looking for work for 10 years with various agencies; but because of my brain injury i am only physically and mentally able to work for 4 hours twice a week. I was a Nuclear Medicine technologist before I injured both my knee and had a ruptured aneurysm which didn't kill me but required brain surgery to repair it. Because I had private health insurance I was out of pocket $12,000 of the total $36,000 bill in just the first year. Since then I have used all of my savings just to live on.

Please can anyone suggest where i can get help???

thank you - Deborah (and Chubba the Psych dog)

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52 comments

Give the dog to the RSPCA

Suze

9 yrs ago

You could always get in touch with somebody like the Bondi Vet - he seems to do a lot of freebies on TV.

Depends on your location.

Yep definitely a blonde...

Chris is a bit busy with Bondi Vet a hit in twenty countries and living room travels as I use his clinic it ain't cheap and he ain't there However he is an Ambassador for Pet insurance with medibank .

And now, Dr Chris Brown has united with Medibank as our Pet Insurance Ambassador with a common cause – to promote better health for dogs and cats.

debs

9 yrs ago

Can't give up my dog - he's the only thing i have of value.

Sadly Suze, I live in QLD, but will keep that in mind you never know he might like a trip to sunny QLD, lol.

I have just e-mailed the QLD Uni vet clinics in Dayboro and Gatton to see if they can help.

There is such a thing as "crowd funding" over the internet. Lots of people are doing that now.

You put it out there on the internet and if everyone just gave say a dollar each you would have the money you require.

https://ozcrowd.com/?gclid=COPRhZCCxsACFVgRvQod6ggApg

Tell Tracy on A Current Affair, will get you all the helpyou need for the dog. And I reckon a cheaper place to live offered as well. Go for it others do and we all chip in.

Yep Bondi Vet may help too. What state are you in anyway?

OK Qld. Just seen your reply.

But maybe someone here lives in the Sunshine state must be heaps of dog lovers there.

And Pete like soloman - not helpful.

debs

9 yrs ago

thanks Val, just sent an e-mail to QLD Uni vet clinics in Gatton and Dayboro to see if they can get the students to practise on (supervised!!)

Send the dog off to pet paradise.

And buy yourself a new puppy.

Cheaper and you'll get another 15!years out of the new one

debs

9 yrs ago

solomon and pete - you might want to head what mothers say - if you can't say something helpful or nice - don't bother

OldGirl

9 yrs ago

I know your dilema and been through it many times myself over the years with various animals. I have always gone ahead with the operation unless the animal was very old and wouldn't have a good quality of life afterwards. I have always found a way to pay the bill off gradually over time, even did some work for the Vet once to help reduce the bill. Most important is to get your little mate fixed up. Perhaps your local newspaper could run a human interest story which would be good publicity for the Vet and may get you a few donations from other dog lovers...Good luck.

debs

9 yrs ago

you're right. There's no question of not having the surgery done, unfortunately the vet no longer owns his practice and the loan the company offers has a high interest rate. I will do it, even if I have to get another loan from centrelink (i already have one to pay my car rego) and live on porrige for the next year!! thanks for the ideas.

Maybe Mr Hockey could donate today's lunch money and pay it off in one go!!!! Oh wait, he and his buddies just accepted a PAY RISE of over 4 times what i get a year and still wants US to make sacrifices to fix the deficit. so no, he doesn't care; except before an election and then he pretends to.

You are a bad insurance risk.

This is one the few countries where pensioners on national assistance can afford a car.

debs

9 yrs ago

i bought the car before a brain injury finished my 30 year career. Because it is the only way i am able to get around, i afford the car by sacrificing other things like eating out at restaurants i used to frequent, or buying anything other than food and petrol. And i will drive it until it falls apart on me because i CAN'T afford to replace it on "national assistance"

I'm 59, not ancient and a whole lot better risk than a teenager who hoons or an arrogant man who thinks he owns the road!

Daisy

9 yrs ago

Debs have you considered house sharing? That is a lot of rent to be carrying on your own on a pension. Maybe the vet will let you pay the bill off gradually.

debs

9 yrs ago

Unable to house share as my brain injury means i don't sleep well and have weird hours which make it difficult for both people.

I have tried in the past, it worked once with a good friend, but she had to move and the next time it was awful. i lost my dog for a whole day because he didn't listen to what i said about letting him outside (he used to jump the fence) I had given up on seeing the dog when he wandered in with very sore feet after 12 hours!! no idea where he'd been; I had searched and called and driven around everywhere. Can't risk that again!!

But if you know any dog lovers out there who are interested.....

and the vet no longer owns his practice, it is owned by Greencross who will do a loan but it is high interest and if I have to go the loan route it will be Centrelink who don't charge interest, just reduce the pension more.

Geesh you all say poms whinge

debs

9 yrs ago

Not whingeing, just trying to find answers so I can get my dog the surgery he needs

My mom told me to beware of schysters.

Can't Chubba use his psychic powers to find a putz to donate to your cause

Debs. are you actually looking for dog lovers and generous people, to start a fund to help you pay for your dog's surgery? I guess many Senior people have pets and struggling to care for them like you. Of course you can always try, and ask, as who knows.

All the best

Debs post pictures of dog certified by a solicitor and you may stand a chance.

We have all had begging letters from Africa

No Nigerian or Scottish solicitors either. They're schysters

debs

9 yrs ago

no i was thinking of dog lovers who are interested in house sharing

OldGirl

9 yrs ago

If politicians didn't swan around in limousines, private jets and with ludicrous 'entitlements' paid for by the taxpayer and their buddies/backers paid the correct amount of tax instead of sheltering and minimising it...we wouldn't see good, honest Australians living in poverty.

Where are these good honest Australains living in poverty?

All in your heaad ?

debs

9 yrs ago

i actually sent an e-mail to Campbell Newman complaining about this and his comment was "I had no choice" What a typical politician answer and a total copout. They ALL could have said no to the pay rise. And totally hypocritical since the rest of us are flat out keeping jobs, less alone getting raises!!

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