A dog-sitting man who took his friend’s “sick” canine to the emergency vet for a $1,400 operation, “Without her consent”, has been applauded online—but not by the pet‘s now-angry owner.
The 20-year-old man and original poster (OP), Reddit user BlackDynamite_7, agreed to watch his 22-year-old friend Alma’s dog, Cherry, while she was away for a week to see her parents.
On day three, the OP noticed something was off.
‘Panicked’
According to the OP’s post, that’s when Cherry, who evidently, “Ate some piece of fabric,” started vomiting and refusing to eat.
At that point, the OP tried to call Alma, but she was at a festival and didn’t pick up. So, the OP “panicked” and took Cherry to the vet, where this user noted she was diagnosed with a blockage.
A $1,400 surgery was performed and Cherry is “fine now,” he added.
When Alma returned home, however, she apparently wasn’t appreciative.
Stock image: Concerned man on phone.
Stock photo/Getty Images
“I gave her the bill, explaining it was an emergency and that was my only option,” the OP wrote in his post.
“She completely blew up, saying she’d never have approved such an expensive option and would’ve waited to see if Cherry improved. She says she’s broke and can’t pay me back.
“Our mutual friends are split some say I saved Cherry’s life and didn’t have anything better I could have done, others say I overstepped by not waiting longer [because], ‘It’s not like a dog could die that quick.’
Alma is now ignoring me and told everyone we know that I, ‘Forced her into debt‘.”
The OP’s post has accumulated 8,200 upvotes and 2,300 comments since Feb 6.
Dogs, as VCA Animal Hospitals puts it, are “notorious” for swallowing articles of clothing, food wrappers and other foreign objects.
While some “foreign bodies” pass through the intestinal tract uneventfully, some don’t, and VCA stressed that if, “An obstruction occurs for some reason, surgical removal of the blocked object is the only treatment.”
‘Life-threatening situation’
Among the common signs a dog has eaten a foreign body are vomiting, diarrhea and/or lethargy, these experts noted in a post on its website.
According to Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center, “accidental ingestion” is one of the most common emergencies they deal with. Tier 1 urged those with pets who have consumed an indigestible object or toxic substance to take them to the vet as soon as possible.
“Early intervention can prevent a potentially life-threatening situation,” a Tier 1 post reads.
Back to the OP’s post, in which he asked if he was in the wrong in this situation. But instead of going with that verdict, a variety of Reddit users in the supportive thread praised him for acting quickly.
One such user replied: “You tried to contact Alma, and her being unreachable doesn’t make you responsible for the vet bill.
“It’s unfortunate that she’s in a difficult financial situation, but that doesn’t negate the fact that you did what you thought was necessary to save her dog’s life.”
‘Couldn’t sit back’
A second to back him wrote: “She should have left you with instructions for how to handle medical emergencies. She didn’t. You saved the dog’s life. I hope you get the money back.”
An individual argued that, “She’d be crying about how you murdered her dog if you’d taken the ONLY other humane route. You absolutely did the right thing…”
“Yeah, I just couldn’t sit back and do nothing,” the OP wrote back.
“I’d hope someone would do the same for me.”
Newsweek has contacted BlackDynamite_7 for comment via Reddit.
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