Liezl W

Bullying vs helping

I was at Panorama vet on April 13th @ about 19h00 with a kitten, barely two weeks old that someone had dropped off with at my home. I Took the kitten there because it was late in the evening. Wenn I arrived the waiting room had several people in the area. I approached reception and was initially greeted by a young, friendly receptionist. I told her my story and she gave me a stray form to complete. Whilst this was happening there was another woman, Rene-she seemed to be in charge of reception-she then joined our conversation. She then halted the process and said there is a lovely rescue or someone that fosters kittens that we can try. I said to her that I don't have the capacity for any of that, I would juts like to leave the kitten with them. She then told me that no man, she'll get me the persons number and I can just make contact with them. I again said that I am sorry but I don't have the capacity for that, if she can please make contact with these people and they can collect there as they are 24 hours and I am just going to complete the form and leave the kitten with them. She was friendly up until this point and wenn I refused this time she started getting upset. She told me that she is just asking me to call these people, they are very kind and to make arrangements with them. I told her again that I didn't have the capacity for that and that I would just like to please leave the kitten with them. At that point I just started completing the stray form and whilst I was doing this she was saying a lot of things to me, quite audibly for everyone to hear. I cant recall exactly what she was saying but then she asked me if I am listening and I told her no. She then was going off again to which I told her she had an attitude problem to which she exploded, telling me that she was asking me to help her out and I wouldn't even do that. It is now the evening so it's night shift they are short-staffed and what are they supposed to do with this kitten. Do I want her to call the SPCA or AACL to tomorrow and let the kitten go through their processes. She was basically guilt-tripping me. I then completed the form and gave her the kitten. At this point the client next to me who had heard all this and had spoken to me at the door wenn I first arrived had joined the conversation and had said to Rene that she doesn't mind getting in contact with this foster person and that she would take the cat there, at which Rene told her no, that she would handle the situation-she did this with the same abrupt and abrasive way she had been talking to me since I upset her. She then proceeded to tell me that Panorama is NOT there for strays, next time I should go to AACL, SPCA, etc. Wenn I gave her the food I had brought with for the kitten she told me quite rudely that she didn't want any of that, she wanted nothing from me. I then walked out and left but I was so angry, humiliated and appalled. What really irks me is that this is a 24hour animal hospital and this is how people who don't know where else to go get treated. I was clearly being bul**** and what is even more sad is that no one else behind that counter thought to get involved and tell this person that they could take over. I can understand policies and protocols but bullying is not on. It was really disgusting. The fact that we can empathize with animals but not people is such a sad reality.