Last week of April
I did not blog last week because I spent the time I would normally spend blogging working on a letter to a animal clinic for something that happened but I am going to leave out any identifying information.
"Cat"
I wanted to let someone know how
disappointed I was in your animal hospital.
I am not sure who needs to be told or made aware of what happened but I
am upset by my experience with your group.
On Tuesday, April 28 at 8:40 am in
the morning, I had two students catch a small black kitten on the campus of the
high school of which I am an assistant principal. They informed me the one girl was taking the
cat home with her, which I was fine with.
However, I instructed her that she could not carry a kitten around to
all of her classes during the day. I
offered to take the kitten and put it in the office. We have several strays around the school and
there are always more that arrive so I keep cat food, a litter pan and kitty
litter in the closet next to my office.
As an
animal lover, I was excited this young stray would be going to a forever home.
As I took the cat to the office, I
noticed a smell eliminating from the kitten and thought it was just because it
was a stray and set it up in the closet to be picked up at the end of the
day. I went back to check on the cat a
few times in the morning and discovered there was something wrong with its anus
/ rectum. There was a large hole, with a
leaking discharge. I took the kitty to
the bathroom and cleaned her up and noticed the area was raw and red. While she was lethargic but alert, I thought
it might be from lack of food and water and felt she would perk up if given a
chance to rest, eat, and drink. I
checked on her several times that morning and it did not get better. The smell was still there as well as the
discharge. For the kitty being feral,
she was very calm, relaxed and sedate, indicating there was something
wrong. The students came by at lunch to
see the kitten and I explained about the situation and told them they could not take the kitten home until I had it checked out. They petted the kitten and left saying they
would check with me tomorrow to take her home.
I knew of another teacher on campus
who loved her vet. I
contacted the teacher, who is an animal lover. She gave me the contact information of
your clinic and I called to explain the situation to the receptionist. I explained the following:
I am an assistant
principal at a high school and I have two students who found a small kitten and
are willing to take it home. However,
before I send the cat home I would like it to be checked out because there
seems to be something wrong with its bottom.
I explained that I did not want to send a kitten home with a student
with something wrong where the parents might say, “No, put that cat outside
now,” causing the cat to be in an unusual environment to get hit by a car, die,
or be abused. I asked if it would be
possible to drop the cat off to be looked at because I had an appointment at 5:15 pm and then I would come back and pick the cat up after my appointment. The receptionist / person who answered the
phone assured me this would be fine. Told
me it would be a $35.00 visit for the check-up.
I said I would pay it, I just wanted to be sure the cat was okay because
of its bottom before I sent it home with a student. We talked about the fact I would get there
between 4:30 – 4:45 pm and needed to be at Riverside Plaza by 5:15 pm and she
assured me that it would be fine and I would make it.
I hung up the
phone feeling calm, good, and assured about the kitty situation. I left school at 4:15 to get to the vet at
4:35 pm. I checked in and was asked to
have a seat in the waiting room. I
explained that I needed to go, that I was told I could drop off the cat and
come back to pick her up. I was told to
wait in the room and the doctor would be with me in just a second. They came and got me in the waiting room to
take me into the exam area and I was in there another 3 – 5 minutes before the
doctor came in. It was now, 4:45
pm. I explained to the doctor that I
needed to leave and asked how long it would take. I also said I was supposed to leave the cat
and come back but I still was not really allowed to leave. While I was not being held there, no one
really acknowledged that I could go and would be back, the feeling I got was
the expectation that I would stay.
The doctor looked
at her and said she looked relatively healthy for being a feral cat. She checked her weight, and said it was low. Teeth and eyes looked good. I pointed out the anus and the doctor looked
at it but then said that the cat was constipated because she was not getting
enough water. I explained she had water
all days today. She said she could feel
the knots in her intestine and had me feel them as well. I felt the hard little knots and asked again
about the smell and rawness of the rectum area.
She said that is normal. I
mentioned that she was seeping brown liquid from her bottom and identified the
smell and she said that happens sometimes with constipation and it was nothing
an enigma, some wet food, and water would not fix. I asked if she was sure and she said
yes. She then asked if I would like to
do the kitty shots. I asked how much
that would be and she said that she would give me a quote. I told her again I needed to go, that I had
another appointment at 5:15 pm and while that might seem callous, this was a
stray that I was having looked at for some girls at the school I worked
at. I explained again that I did not
want to send a sick cat home with students.
She smiled and said she would be a second and left the room.
At 4:57 pm, I
stuck my head out to the receptionist area and said that I needed to leave and
the receptionist went back to tell the doctor who I heard her say, it will just
be a minute. At 5:03 pm, the doctor
walked back into the room to show me a quote for about $215.00 for shots, flea
treatment, the enigma and such. I asked
if I could leave the cat for this to be done and come back to pick her up and
she said yes. I told the doctor I would feel guilty if I
did not do the shots and signed the paper thinking, I just saved the young
lady’s family some money and they would be more likely to take the cat with all
the initial shots and if they decided not to, I would be more likely to find
the kitty a home. I also thought that
if I did not sign the paper I would end up sitting there for another 15 minutes
discussing options for the cat and I had to go.
I told her the office had my cell phone if something came up and they
could text or call as I left the animal hospital at 5:08 pm.
I returned back
to the doctor’s office sometime after 7:30 pm.
When I entered, I explained who I was and was told the doctor wanted to
see me. I looked at the receptionist and
said, what is wrong, what is happening.
She explained, nothing, the doctor just needed to see me. I was asked to wait in the exam room while
she went and let the doctor know I was here.
A different doctor came in to explain to me he felt there was more wrong
with the kitten than when first examined.
He stated he felt it could be two things: 1) an infection that ate a
hole between the vulva and the rectum, that with proper treatment and cleaning
may heal, or 2) a congenital defect that would never heal. I explained to him this was a stray cat that
was found and I knew something was wrong, which is why I brought her in before
I let a student take the cat home. I
told him that I did not think it was just constipation, the smell was too bad
for just. I asked him the options and he
said to take her home and do proper cleaning and care or have her
euthanized. I immediately started to cry
and get upset, and am again, as I am typing this. While she was not my cat, I am very sensitive
to animals and have a deep empathy for them making this a very upsetting
situation for me. I explained to him
that I had just taken two pregnant cats from my apartment complex to the
Friends of the Valley Shelter, and I had two cats at home right now, both of
who were strays from schools. I told him
that I could not take another cat home due to apartment rules and even if I did
for a short amount of time, it would stress my cats out and my cats would
stress her and this would not be an appropriate environment for anyone. I also told him I was not home enough to take
care of a cat with high maintenance needs, which this one seemed it would need,
nor was I willing to burden a family with vet costs since I work at an 86% free
and reduced lunch Title 1 school. We
talked a bit longer about the law of averages, stats and the fact she was feral
and I reached the conclusion euthanasia was probably best. He said that he agreed with the decision if
it made me feel any better because of the history of the cat. He explained the receptionist would be in
shortly with some paperwork to fill out and then they would put the kitty
down.
The receptionist
came in and had me sign the euthanasia papers and showed me the bill. She was focusing on the disposal of the body
and asked if I wanted to take it home or do group cremation/ disposal and I
explained again, this was feral cat and while I was upset, I was upset for the
fact the cat was being put down, not because it was mine. She asked if group cremation/disposal was
okay and I said yes. I was still
somewhat in shock because not more than 3 hours ago, I was being told the cat
was constipated and would be fine and now I am putting her down.
Next the receptionist
showed me the bill for this visit and I was in shock it was $325.04!!! She explained to me the vet had done the
enigma and provided all the shots before another vet looked at the kitty. I was already upset about the kitty and now
the bill had me more upset to the point, I did not know what to say! I just wanted out of the clinic /
hospital. I could not stay and look at
that sweet cat’s face as it was put to sleep knowing it was given an enigma and
shots that would not save its life and only caused that sweet stray cat
pain. All of my cats have been
strays!!!!! Every single one of the
cats, I have ever had have been strays.
My mom was raised on a farm and is use to stray cats showing up or being
dropped off. Each cat that I have taken
in or found a home for, I ALWAYS take to the vet and ask for a check-up to see
if the cat is okay before proceeding with shots or care. I am use to paying the initial doctor visit
before making a decision about what will happen to the kitty. However, within three hours I went from a
perfectly fine cat who was only constipated to a cat that must be euthanized
and a $325.04 bill that I don’t feel is appropriate!!! This is why I wanted to leave the cat for a
full check-up and not be rushed. I even provided
my cell phone and asked that I be called or texted if there was an issue.
I was completely
honest with the fact that I did not have time to wait for the cat. I should have been told your clinic could not see me if I could not wait.
I would be absolutely fine with the $35.00 visit, $70.00 euthanasia
charge, and $40.00 cremation fee a total of $145.00. While I authorized the shots, it was only
because the vet, who is supposed to be the expert, which is why I brought her
to the vet clinic, told me she was only constipated. When I signed the paper, I thought I would be
taking a cat with its first shots back to the young lady for a forever
home. If the doctor was in question of
her own diagnosis, she should have asked for a second opinion before giving the
shots. I also feel that if the diagnosis
was incorrect I should not have been charged.
Even now as I
type this I am sitting here crying for a cat that is lost and was misdiagnosed
by the first vet. I think of the pain
the little kitten must have been in during this time as it received an enigma and
unnecessary shots, that would not help. I hope you will put
some sort of policy or procedures in place for other good Samaritans like me
who try to help animals find homes so this does not happen to another
individual. It is charges like this that
make people hesitant to help animals and get involved therefore leading to many
strays. While I know you have a business
to run and need to pay your employees, this kitten should have been looked at
more closely to prevent it from further pain and excessive charges to the
person / family who brought the animal in to work to find it a home.
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| "Cat" - Stay from School |
Needless to say, I did not sleep well last week and kept thinking about the kitty and the cats in the back of the school presently. I was at school until 10:00 pm almost every night. I really hate to admit that because it makes me feel like I cannot do my job. However, I keep reminding myself that it is testing season and that is the real reason for the late evenings. I am working with 1) Smarter Balanced Tests, 2) State Science Test, 3) California Alternative Assessment, 4) California Alternative Program of Assessment, 5) diagnostic CAHSEE for 9th graders in both math and English. So for all of these tests, we have to do make-ups for those absent and not finished. On Thursday, April 29, this is the library were we had 81 desks and rotated 125 students in and out to do make up testing. Whew!!! Thank goodness Pam and Josh were around to help!! And the night crew for getting it all together for me on Wednesday night!! Mike Linares's crew rocks!!!!!
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| Testing in the library! |
Footloose closed this weekend as well. Michelle Grotness and the kids did an AWESOME job with the performances and I am going to miss so many of the seniors and Michelle as she retires and moves onto spending time with her fabulous husband. This was a large cast that did a wonderful job!
May
This has been a crazy first week of May. While I thought that I would get home earlier now that the PhD was done, I have been here later trying to deal with the testing items and get things completed as the end of the year approaches. Easier said than done.... Monday started AP testing and no, I am not in charge of that test. We are giving over 1400 tests on campus to students but Christine is working on that one. She is fabulous!!!! This week was meeting after meeting after meeting and complaint after complaint after complaint. Then I noticed it was a full moon at the beginning of the week so that explained a lot. LOL!!! There are times I just think to myself....What do people expect and want....no, your child is not the only one on campus, even though you want to believe they are. There are 2299 other children that are on the campus as well. And yes, your child does make bad decisions and yes, they should have consequences for those bad decisions. And no, we are not Burger King, you cannot have it your way, right away. Then I think, thank goodness I do not work at the DMV.
So...we have started piecing together Master Schedule this week. Last year I affectionately called this huge endeavor, "The Beast." This year, we are calling it, "Devil's Spawn." Now, if you are wondering where this came from, I basically decided the beast had a kid and this kid is the Devil! I mean, come on, when you cut 10 classes / 2 teachers, it is the Devil's Spawn, it is harder and more tight this year than last year and no....we have not cut programs or services, in fact we have more students wanting more programs. Oh my..... My head guidance counselor decided Devil's Spawn needed a face and well.......here is the visualization of 2015-2016 Master Schedule....
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| "Devil's Spawn" |
This week was Husky Buddy week and I had a great Husky Buddy. Look at the super cute post it note dispenser that my buddy gave to me. It is sitting on my table and I LOVE IT!!! I also got yellow notebooks, yellow starburst and a gift card from my Husky Buddy, who I found out was JUNE BIERNETZKY!!!!!!!! She knows me so well!!!!!!! Yes, I will be putting yellow post it notes in there!!!!!
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| Husky Buddy Gift |
On Monday, I met with the new teachers from this year and it is always a pleasure and complete reward to work with novice teachers - hence what my PhD was about. This year the group was fabulous, eager to learn, get involved and make changes. I am excited to say they will all be coming back next year. Whew!!! Year 1 done - only 5 more to go to make sure they make it past the 5 year mark and keep them with us!!!!
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| Excited for the Novice Teachers who completed their first year!!! |
Friday, May 9th
I have to say I played Hookie on Friday for a bit. I had to go to a district meeting in the morning because of Mandated reporting but.....I took Friday afternoon off. I know, I know.... I never do that unless there is something major like a PhD or something.... But I had nothing..I just decided to take the afternoon off. I went and saw the movie The Avengers, went to Nordstrom Rack, Karen Allen Salon, and change gyms to now be a member of LA Fitness so my gym is closer to work and therefore I will go more. I ended the evening with dinner with BFAWs and friends at GaPow!!!! This was a huge treat because Michael Rhodes joined us and is looking AWESOME after his cancer treatments!!! It was so great to be with everyone! Thanks Dee for setting it up!
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| Dinner with Friends |
I ended the evening at home with the cats and watching a movie. Sorry Jamie!!! I had to see it!!! I will watch it again with you another time. I promise I will not say anything to you about it!!!!
Saturday - May 9th
Well today was the big day!!! If I was in SC, I would have been sitting on a football field waiting for them to call my name to walk across the stage. I have to tell you I am thankful I was not...I did not want to sit for three hours in a gown on a football field! However, I did officially graduate from Clemson University on Saturday with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. I got the email on Saturday morning that my transcript was official and was being sent to me.
Hooray - officially, officially done!!!! While I did not walk and to some it may seem anti-climatic, My closest friends have been with me every step of the way. I also ate lunch with one of my most favorite people at one of my favorite restaurants on Saturday!
On top of that, I did have people, both teachers and students, celebrate with me at work with signs, letters, cards, facebook messages, and kind words. That means more to me then walking because the people that matter most were involved in those aspects.
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| My door the day I returned. |
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| My nameplate when I returned. |
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| Notes at work on the board. |
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| My official nameplate |
What more could a girl ask for????
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