If I could leave zero stars, I would. It has been six years since I brought my beautiful kitten, my baby, to Armitage, where I lost him. I still kick myself for not scooping him up and taking him to ... Read More
If I could leave zero stars, I would. It has been six years since I brought my beautiful kitten, my baby, to Armitage, where I lost him. I still kick myself for not scooping him up and taking him to a Hospital where they might have saved him but the Vet and her staff made it evident that paying their bill was tantamount to their interests while I struggled to think why my poor baby was screaming in pain after spending the night hooked up to an IV without any staff in attendance. Since the Vet had no answer for me and suggested that he had rabies (even though I told her the day before that he had not been let outside at all in over two weeks, which negates that theory), I was forced to deal with a laundry list of charges and asked how I was going to pay and set out to obtain payment, including post dated cheques because the bill was more than I had at the time. I was under pressure and I all wanted to do was to ease my boy's pain and demanded at the very least that they give him a sedative. The Vet insisted that rabies was the probable reason and proceeded to call the Health Department for this reason. Knowing what they must do to confirm rabies (ending the life of the animal and removing its head), I was beside myself with anguish, confusion and desperation. In this fog, I relented to have my sweet young special cat eased of his pain for fear that he would be taken away by strangers who would do the same. The Vet was more than willing to do this without allowing me the time to think of my options. I held him and kissed him telling him I loved him while they did it and then, in my fresh grief, I was lead to reception where they took my debit card and gave me the amounts I needed to write the cheques for the remainder of their services from the day before. I stumbled out the door in a haze of tears and sat in my car for a few minutes and then realized, i wanted to take him home where I could bury him and remember the joy he brought to my life in his short time on this earth. When I ran back in, the Vet and her staff advised me that I had just missed the Health Department officer that had taken his little body far away where they would test him for rabies and there was nothing I could do about it. About a week later, I got a call from a staff member at Armitage, who advised me that they received the results of the test and my sweet kitten DID NOT have rabies. I asked if they could arrange to retrieve his body and head so I could bury them together at home, but they said that was not possible. To this day, I have never forgiven myself for not being strong enough to grab him and find help and deep sadness and regret bring me to tears. Not for myself but for the fact that his young soul trusted me to protect him and I let him down. A week later, they cashed my cheque. Read Less