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This is my story. On July 15, 2002, I had made an appointment with my local groomer to have my cat Hillary groomed. She had been there several times previously. I dropped her off at the scheduled time and told the owner that I would be back later to get her. When I arrived, I asked how she was and was told that Hillary was good, and I asked how much I owed. I paid and dropped Hillary off at home and went back to work.
Two days later, when I arrived home, my husband was holding Hillary and asked me to come and take a look at her. That is when he turned Hillary over and she was covered in blood underneath.
I was shocked and worried. I called my veterinarian and they were closed. I was told to go to the Grand Island Animal Hospital for any emergencies. I was upset, and my husband said that he would take her over there. While he was there, he called and told me that they were going to have to stitch her up, because she was severely lacerated. He also informed me that she had been glued together. The veterinarian that examined her said it looked like she was superglued together on a cut two-and-a-half inches long. Shocked, my husband asked if the groomer had said anything about this to me. I told him no. I called the groomer and no one answered. I told her that she had no business hurting my cat and not telling me anything about it, because now Hillary was in the emergency room and needed stitches, and I felt she had better pay for them or I would take her to court to get my money back for what our family pet had to go through. Not only was I upset about what Hillary was going through, but my 7-year-old son had to be home to see all the blood. I left my home and work phone numbers with my message, and did not hear anything back from her.
The next day, I phoned the groomer again and was told that she was too busy to talk to me and that she would have to call me back. About 9:30 a.m., I got a call from her, and she said that when she did shave Hillary, she might have nicked her, but that Hillary must have picked at it and opened it up. (The vet had showed my husband the cut and it was all the way down to the muscle in her back leg.) I told her that I could not believe that she would do something like that to my pet and not tell me. She told me that she told the girls when I came in to pick up Hillary to let me know that she had nicked her, but they forgot. She stated she would pay all the vet bills. She asked how the cat was and I said OK for now. She had thrown up a few times, and the vet said that if it continued she would have to be brought back in.
On Friday, July 19, Hillary did not seem herself. She was sleeping more than normal, but I figured it was just from the antibiotics and pain meds she was on. Then on Saturday, I realized that I had never seen her get off the couch and go downstairs to eat. She never moved off the couch until someone came over and tried to pet her (she was a lap cat who loved to be petted and purred all the time). She would walk away and go hide. I knew from having cats before that this was not right and was not her. I called Grand Island Animal Hospital and told them her symptoms and the whole story. They said to bring her in and that it sounded like she was going into a depression, and with her age (14 years old), it was not good. I took her in and a vet looked at her and said that, because she had stopped eating and drinking, he could pump her with a lot of fluids. He told me that it would cost $480 just for one day and I did not have that kind of money at the time. I told him that my sister worked for a vet and that I could get her the best treatment there. He said OK, but to get her there first thing in the morning.
When I went to bed that night, Hillary was downstairs by her water dish trying to drink, but did not have the strength.
When we got to Seneca Animal Hospital the next morning, the vet looked at Hillary and said that, because she was not eating or drinking and was running away from us, that was her was of telling us she couldn't go on anymore. The stress of the accident had put her over the edge and she could no longer go on.
Well, we put her to sleep and drove to my sister's land in Wyoming County and buried her. On Monday, July 22, I called the groomer and told her that Hillary had been put down because she couldn't handle what had happened to her. She said that she was sorry and would pay the additional vet bills. I told her that there was one for $67 and a $12 fee to put her to sleep. She said she was sorry and that I should fax her the bills.
A few hours later, she called me back and said that she would not be paying me and that she had never had an animal die on her. I then told her that I would see her in court, because our family was due whatever it cost to have her taken care of. She said that if I wanted anything, I should take it up with her insurance company, and would not give me their name. She told me that I would need to fax her all kinds of paperwork and she would give it to her insurance company. I did not feel that I should have to do all the leg-work for her cruelty to my family pet.
On July 25, I received a phone call from the Niagara County Health office. They said they had received a report of a bite or scratch from my cat and that I needed to contact them right away and inform them of my cat's shots. I told them that Hillary had not had a rabies shot in possibly seven years. I told them that she was an indoor cat.
They told me that in New York State, cats and dogs have to be updated on shots and it's been in effect for 10 years. They said that I had to have my sister dig up Hillary and the health office was going to take her, behead her and test her. I told him that this was only harassment from the groomer because she caused my cat's death. The Health Department said they didn't care and that the cat had to be tested for rabies. I told the guy at the Health Department that my cat did not have rabies, that she was an indoor pet and she never saw a wild animal unless it was on TV.
How can someone be so mean-spirited?
Now we have been robbed of time left we could have had with Hillary. I would like to know how people can get away with something like this.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | August 27 2002 |