vet holding cats ashes hostage

[Saitama]

My poor cat had been at the vet on and off for months, but in the end unfortunately had to be PTS. This was on a weekend and so the cost of it was extortionate, but it would have been cruel if we'd waited until monday. We asked for him to be cremated and to have his ashes back and his paw prints etc.

We've spent several thousand £ at this vet in the last months for my cat, trying to diagnose and treat him, all paid up to date until the PTS. Now I owed £700, I paid 350 of that and set up a payment plan for the rest at X amount per month. But the vets are refusing to give me my cats ashes back until it's paid in full.

All my savings have gone into my cat and I have nothing left, so his poor ashes are just sat at the vet alone and waiting for me and I can't bring him home. I've been with the vets for years with my other animals, have always been a good client, paid on time, never missed an appointment, no reason for them to think I'd just take his ashes and not pay since my other pets are registered there.

It's going to be approx 4-5 months until I can pay the rest of the bill to get my cat back, it feels so cruel of the vet to be holding him hostage like this when taking all the above into account, and how many appointments I had had there with this cat alone. I'd even sent them a card and chocolates after some of the appointments before to thank them for their work etc.

AIBU to think it's super messed up and cruel that they won't just give me his ashes now?

But she hasn't paid that's the whole point. And she can't pay it next month either she apparently can only afford it over 5 monthly installments. So that tells me she can't actually afford the pet in the first place.

The pet had to be put to sleep, fine. Vets put wild animals to sleep for free. But this one has an owner who should have the money for her pet's vet bills.

Vets do not work for free, I wouldn't work for free so why should a vet?

This is another example - my vet doesn't charge for paw prints. They just send them with the condolence card.

Goods? You’re not buying a dead cat! 🤦🏻‍♀️

You’re paying for a service that has been carried out and the vet practice has agreed payment terms.

But she hasn't paid for a service - that's the whole point of the thread!

She's paid half of the bill and can't afford the rest, so the vet is keeping her cats' ashes etc. until she can find the money she owes them. Yes, she could refuse to pay anyway, but I suspect at this point, that's a risk they're willing to take.

Vets are businesses and deserve to be paid what they're owed - it's not difficult.

In business terms, we are talking about "goods", as cold as it might sound.

And OP hasn't paid for the service, so they're well within their rights to withhold the end product until the payment is complete. It's very common - lots of places allow you to pay for things in instalments and you get the item once all the money has been paid.

You only get the goods upfront (without payment) if you have an official credit agreement in place, which OP doesn't have.

There are different types of paw prints though - just on paper, on formal decorative card and some even offer imprints etc.

Maybe OP went for the most expensive option? Or she could have taken her cat home and done it all herself for nothing.

Because pets aren't 'goods'. Whether dead or alive they aren't 'goods'. Vets don't withhold live pets do they?

They do our ones really nicely on decorative card. I've never asked/been offered them it's just something they do.

So if I book a holiday, can only afford 50%, and agree to pay the rest over 5 months I should be allowed to go straight away, whilst I owe money still? Because I've used that travel agents for years and am a loyal customer the company's right to payment should be waivered.

Actually, animals are, legally speaking, considered "goods".

You have consumer rights when buying a pet. A pet is considered a 'good' under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

And the reason vets don't withhold live animals is because, bluntly speaking, it would cost them even more money that they can't afford to shell out.

Exactly - which is why a vet is not the same as Tesco!

And like I said to you way upthread, you somehow can't seem to grasp that all vets are different.

OP asked for an individual cremation and paw prints. It wasn't forced on her. She also chose not ask about costs and now finds herself not being able to pay her bills. That's on her - not the vet practise.

When our cat died last year, we had a little service, took her prints, and buried her in the garden, then bought a little plaque to put on the wall in her memory. You don't have to spend hundreds of pounds if you don't want to or can't afford to.

They're still a business who deserve to be paid for the services they provide.

If you can't afford the service, don't ask for it in the first place.

And as I said I understand all vets are different. That is my point. My one makes us feel really cared about. I'd not like the type of vet that you like.

I know you don't have to spend hundreds of pounds - I never had. Our vet is really reasonable.

I agree they deserve to be paid.

But to say a vet is just like Tesco is just not true, imho.

It's not tricky if done right.

On the euthanasia form I signed it had options, what they included (ashes or no ashes) and the price next to it. I just had to tick in the box what option I wanted. On the reverse was casket pictures and costs. Again, i just had to tick what one I wanted.

The vet read the options I selected back with me to confirm I was happy with them. I then got a photocopy of the form that the vet brought back with them when they went to get the nurse for the procedure.

My vet makes me feel cared about too.

Which is why I pay my bills and don't expect them to wait five months for payment for their services.

And so do I!

I'm just saying they're both businesses and you can't expect to use their services without paying for them. You wouldn't be allowed to walk out of Tesco with £100 of shopping having only paid for £50 of it.

Maybe a more accurate comparison would be PP's example of a travel agent - you can pay for your holidays in instalments, and pay as much or as little as you want each month, but unless you pay in full by the time you travel, you can't go.

The same is true here, OP is welcome to pay now or pay over five months, but she won't get her cats' ashes and paw-prints back until her bill is settled.

This is good practice.

It's really poor form to not mention price and then suddenly present someone with a massive bill. Doubly so at such an emotional time.

Isn't it the same with human ashes? Pay the bill first.

Yeah, MIL died a couple of months ago and everything had to be paid for upfront.

An equally valid analogy is buying a TV and paying by instalments. You will be able to take the TV out before you've paid for it. It's a perfectly normal way of doing business. If you've taken thousands of pounds off someone for treatment and know that they have other pets registered with your business so have every incentive to come back, and that they've entered into a payment plan for what is owed, it's just good business sense not to alienate that person by acting like dickheads.

A few years ago my cat became very ill and needed an exploratory operation (insured) they found cancer and suggest we PTS as she would have been in pain. They kept her sedated and said would we like to be with her, I said yes and we rushed to the vets. When we got there the vets wife who did admin sometimes wanted ti discuss the bill and have it settled before I could see my cat or say goodbye. I was dumbfounded that someone could be so calous, I also had never not paid immediately and would have paid after I came out from saying goodbye. I left the vets practice after that particular incident.

Not really the same. They can come and take back the telly if you don't pay.