Just be kind or be quiet

An Open Letter to all Veterinary Clients,

This current state of our world is crazy. It is crazy for you...it is crazy for us. Life as we know it has changed. Strange, new, different, scary, and frustrating. And change is hard during the best of times.

Veterinary medicine is essential. That means that we need to be at work to take care of your pets. While we are grateful for still having jobs....we have to do things differently to take care of both our patients AND each other.

We are offering the same level of medicine and are doing all we can to communicate with you before, during, and after your pets exams and treatments.

But...we are done with you being mean. And rude. And hateful.

Did you know that before the world shut down with a global pandemic, veterinary medicine had one of the highest rates of suicide of all other professions? Don't believe me...check out https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p1220-veterinarians-suicide.html

Our profession is highly emotional and if we didn't love what we do, love the pets that we get to spend time with, love being able to support you during difficult times, we would not do it.

So when you tell us:

- You are only here for the money and that is all you care about...

- You don't care about my pet at all...

- How dare you say that my pet needs XYZ? Google says that he doesn't need anything.

- Just wait...If I could get you a zero star review I would...you don't deserve to be in business.

And when you come into the clinic or call us and say:

- That bill is outrageous. I know I signed an estimate but I didn't think it would be that expensive...

- I never authorized these things to be done...and I don't care that my spouse did...I am not paying for it...

- Do you not see/know that I am MUCH more important than anything else that you are doing right now...

It is not OK. It is not OK to speak to people like this. It is not OK to be hateful and rude. It is not OK to yell and cuss and spit and throw things.

Seriously? Would you treat your daughter that way? Your son? Your parents? Would you be demanding and hateful? Would you be rude and miserable to your co-workers? To the people that work for you? Teachers? Police officers? Nurses?

If so, then you should be ASHAMED of yourself. Seriously....ashamed.

When we were little, we were taught:

1. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

2. Be kind or be quiet.

And somewhere along the way we have forgotten that. It is time to fix it and fix it NOW.

It's pretty simple. Just be kind. Take a moment and think before you speak. Don't let emotions rule you. Veterinary medicine is emotional. It is life and death EVERY day. So when you come to the office and are a complete and total jerk, you are the problem.

And we are done being nice. Please do not push us over the edge. Just be kind or be quiet.

Sincerely,

All veterinary staff in the entire world