Private cremation

We offer private cremation for our clients. Its one of many "end of life" services we provide. Each client who euthanizes a pet at our clinic, long time or brand new, get a personalized, handwritten card signed by each of us. We often do clay paws, and will also send personalized memorial stones. Those are costs we absorb in our clinic, we pay for those items. Private cremation, however, those costs are borne by the clients.

Enter deadbeats...

I'll confess. Sometimes we do payment arrangements. Personally it drives me nuts, but Dr. Old has been doing this for 40+ years, and started taking payments back in the day when people actually paid their bills. So sometimes we still run bills for people.

There was a client who didn't pay his last bill, and was told that he had to pay for any services rendered on subsequent visits. He wanted me to operate on his dog's necrotic, rotting tumor. I refused. He elected euthanasia. I said, fine, but you have to pay for it today. And it would be nice if you could pay on the $300+ you already owe as well. He claimed to have $100 cash and would pay the rest tomorrow. Uh huh. He wanted private cremation. Then left without paying the $100. I called him, he did turn around and pay the $100. But I tagged his dog as a "hold" in our freezer. Four months, many calls, returned registered letters, and failed contacts later, I finally sent his pet for non-private cremation. I also subsequently reduced the debt (removing the charge for private cremation) from the amount he owed to our collection agent.

Repeat situation today - semi-deadbeat ran up a $1000 bill, finally the pet was euthanized and they wanted private cremation. First, someone explain the logic to me - you can't afford your vet bills but you are going to pay $200 for a private cremation? Well, we're fast learners I guess because the pet was euthanized on Wednesday and today we went a registered letter basically saying - listen, you owe us $1000. We're not sending your dog for private cremation until you pay your bill in full. We're happy to send for group, reduce your bill accordingly and you still owe us. But if you're having trouble paying, maybe spending $200 on private cremation isn't the best plan. And you're sure as hell not getting your remains back until you pay your bill.

I can't hold alive pets hostage to people who don't pay their bills. But I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for you to have your pet cremated when you won't pay your bill.