It’s every pet owner’s nightmare: forced to surrender an eleven week old puppy because emergency medical treatment was too expensive to afford.
Marley, part bullmastiff, part malamute, was normally active with big sister Lily, a Rottweiler. On Christmas day, however, that changed when the puppy was stricken with a sudden illness.
“She was vomiting,” explained owner Julie Mainardi. “She was always a big, round, fluffy, bouncy little thing, and her rib cage was sunken right in. She looked horrible.”
Mainardi brought Marley to the DMV – one of the only emergency vet clinics open during the holidays - where the dog was diagnosed with Parvo, a highly contagious disease that affects the intestinal tract.
She says she was told the treatment would cost upwards of $7500. When Mainardi explained she couldn’t afford to pay, staff at the clinic said the most humane option was to leave Marley to be treated – legally surrendering the puppy who would then be put up for adoption.
The SPCA Ouest has since created a fundraising campaign to cover the expense of Marley’s treatment.
Dr. Enid Stiles, a veterinarian at Sherwood Park Animal Hospital, says the estimate Mainari received may be high for a Parvo treatment.
“I would say that’s a worst case scenario,” she said. “We don’t often see them a lot more than that, but we do see cases that come to that much.”
Stiles says while the case is devastating to a pet owner, returning the dog to its original owner is at the discretion of the DMV.
“It’s difficult, because often in these situations, they’ve legally transferred ownership over to the hospital or the rescue agency, or wherever they are doing that – so there is no legal ground, typically, to get that dog or cat back,” she added.
The DMV refused to comment on this specific case, saying when someone comes in with a sick animal, they are typically offered three options.
“Going to family and friends for assistance, different modes of payment financing,” explained Nicole Craig, customer care manager at DMV. “Sometimes, depending on the medical condition, euthanasia is the way to proceed and, exceptionally, abandonment to a rescue organization.”
Mainardi, however, says she wasn't alerted to the possibility of a payment plan arrangement until after Marley was signed over.
Stiles and the DMV say that one way to avoid situations like this is to get pet insurance – which is usually free for the first month.
Meanwhile, Mainardi is hoping the SPCA and the DMV will work together – and with her – so Marley can come home.
