it is an important question to ask ourselves sometimes, especially if we are looking for special treatment or consideration.
do you know that i have NEVER negotiated or asked for a discounted price from any of our vets? i don't even ask them how much something will cost and i rarely even look at the bills and i NEVER dispute them...i just pay them and am thankful that our guys got such good care. i figure that if the vets value what we do here (shit, they sure as hell can see it first hand) they will decide and give us the best price that they can....without me pressuring them or making them feel obligated. and i am thankful that they mostly do.
i never assume that because i spend so much time and money in their clinics that i have special rights. i am respectful of the fact that the animals in my care, take up alot of their very busy time. i am one client among hundreds (or thousands, i am not really sure what their client load actually is, but whatever it is, i know it is very heavy so i try really hard NOT to be an added burden to them.)
i try to recognize when they are busy and not ask too much of them when they are. i try not to be a pain in the ass cuz who in the world enjoys working with pain in the butts? i sure don't.
so i have these standards of professional consideration that i have set for dealing with our vets and NOTHING pisses me off more than when someone tries to take advantage of them using my name. whatever discounted prices or special considerations that are freely given to saints...are given because we work ourselves to death to take care of the ones that no one else wants. every single second of every single day, we are on the front line doing what others cannot even imagine. and this is not said to imply, "oh good for us"...it is said because it is true.
please don't ask for or expect special favors, don't ask for special prices on the back of a rescue group...rescue groups are given whatever they are given by the vets because of the unending work that we do. those special considerations or prices are not for joe blow out to save a buck or two...who exactly is joe blow to think he is entitled to something that he never raised a finger even once to try to earn?
we all need to ask ourselves once in awhile...who am i in the real scheme of things...a giver, a taker, a sharer, a user, a demander or someone just out for the best deal?
so who the hell am i? i am someone with a freaking lot of sick animals who is pretty far behind on paying their vet bills...and huge thank you to our vets and their staff for helping me to look after them and putting up with me too.