My2cents2,

If you think veterinarians are over compensated for their skills then you have never had to pay for 7-8yrs of vet school or seen the books of a veterinary practice.

AAA Emergency Clinic
150 Dennis Drive
Lexington, KY
859-276-2505
http://www.smallanimalemergency.com/

Just as an FYI: Pet (dog and cat) first aid classes are available from the American Red Cross. I've checked with the Franklin Co. chapter but they never seem to have enough people signed up to take a class. I think there has to be 10 people registered before they will hold a class. I took my class in Lexington. They were very accommodating and there wasn't 10 people in the class.

Perhaps as a public service to those of us trapped in a town with no after-hours vet service, someone could post here the phone number (long distance call) and address of and directions to (lest we get lost along the way, thus wasting even more precious minutes) to the Lexington AAA Emergency Clinic. My opinion that it's a travesty that the residents of the capital city have to travel to another city for care when their animals are seen regularly during "normal business hours" by vets who are more than adequately compensated is a travesty and shame. As with FPB and other services, they do it because they CAN, and that's our own fault... If you don't like it, vote with your feet.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to write Good Riddance.
I meant to say: "Have a nice day" :)

Well I see that PetDoc has joined forces with AmeeO & JMB. In my opinion to secure the public confidence in Town & Country Veterinary Services and maybe the rest of the Frankfort Vets. That's okay with me. Also I never mentioned that money was a concern, just as long as my pets receive proper treatment. Now, how about this? Are you ready? Okay here goes........I have made a very tactful plan for any pet emergency that may occur in the future. (1)Top priority: Go to any Vet Clinic other than in Frankfort. (2) Second Priority: Go to any Vet Clinic other than in Frankfort. (3) Thirdly: Go to any other Vet Clinic than in Frankfort. (4) Lastly: Top three priorities apply also for ANY Vet care, emergency or not. That pretty much sums it up. Pretty good plan I think. Maybe the smartest emergency plan I've ever made. Thank you guys for encouraging me to devise an emergency plan for my pets. You've been a great help thus far.

I know things change all the time and people have to learn to adapt to change. But I have to say that I dearly miss Dr Green and Dr Phillips(no relation). There were the BEST Vets that Frankfort has EVER had. Then there was the untimely death of Dr Bevins. She was very good also. Too bad things had to change, but that's life and we all have to deal with it. But my family and I will be dealing with it "out of town" from now on. You won't have to worry about the HOLY TERROR beating the door down begging for help anymore. I would assume that this satisfies you as much as it does me because my pets will be getting REAL vet care from here on in. And I will be treated like a concerned pet owner instead of an idiot or a damn criminal. Good Riddance!

Please take note: A veterinary clinic is NOT a 24 hour a day emergency service. Most veterinary clinics do not have staff assistance after 6pm. It is very difficult to handle real emergencies without the proper staff assistance.

Lexington AAA Emergency Clinic is 20 minutes from Frankfort. They offer excellent service from 5pm until 8am throughout the week and from 5pm on Friday until 8am on Monday for the weekend. Yes...they are expensive, because they have specially trained staff and very expensive equipment to give the very best CRITICAL CARE.

Phillipsonline wasted precious time driving from clinic to clinic after he had already called and knew they were closed. WHY???

Phillipsonline showed up at our clinic at 7:45pm with no visible sign of care or pet shouting that he had an emergency. I informed him that we were closed & that I had no one available to help him. I was alone at the clinic and frightened, because there was no car or pet. I had no idea who he was and since I am not a veterinarian there was nothing I could do to help him. So of course, I did not let him in and he left.

A few minutes later he returned & parked his truck in front of the clinic. He asked for Dr. Massie's number and I gave it to him. He asked where the mobile was, and I informed him we had not had one for 12 years. Yes, he did look very frantic, but I was frantic too when he continued to stand in the parking lot waving his arms around and talking on a cell phone. I had picked up the phone to dial 911 when he finally left.

When I got home at 9pm there were two messages from Phillipsonline. The first message stated he had an emergency. The second message was a nasty message about the "cold administrator" at the office who would not let him in or help him. Due to the negative nature of his voice mail, we did not return his call.

Phillipsoneline, I don't know about all veterinarians, but we have been taking emergency calls from our ESTABLISHED clients fro 40 years. They know what to do whey they need emergency services. We cannot be available 24 hours a day - 7 day a week - to every person in Franklin county. Thank goodness our clients have enough common sense to know that veterinarians are people not machines & they need some down time.

I suggest that you discuss what to do in an emergency with your veterinarian. Making a plan prior to the emergency is a much better option than running all over town to clinics that you know are closed hoping to catch someone there. Had you spent that time driving to Lexington - just maybe your pet could have been saved. I am truly sorry for you loss.

Posted by: Sondra Massie, Office Manager @ Town & Country Veterinary Services...aka the "cold administrator"

Phillipsonline--Once again, sorry for your loss. This will be the last time that I will flatter you with my wisdom. By no means have I asserted that I am an expert in "how to respond to an emergency pet crisis situation," but thanks for such encouraging remarks. I strongly encourage the experts to advise all of us on what to do. By experts, I'm referring to the veterinarians and those who run the vet medical clinics. Yes, you are correct that not everyone responds to a critical situation in the same manner. My intent was to increase awareness of a plan that the owner must have established subconsciously or any other format. By doing so, one can decrease anxiety during a critical event and establish a response plan, hence, increasing the probability of not having such a bad or negative outcome during times of crisis. Just like everyone does not respond to the grieving process in the same manner. Clearly you are in the anger stage. I found this on www.recover-from-grief.com website and hope it helps you through out your healing process.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
Frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay unwarranted blame for the death on someone else. Please try to control this, as permanent damage to your relationships may result. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion.

You may rail against fate, questioning "Why me?" You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair ("I will never drink again if you just bring him back")

If this blog has helped you during your grief, then at least it has served a positive purpose. You have made your point---your opinion of Frankfort Vets is obvious. You have made it clear that your opinion is the only one on this blog that matters and is accurate. My response was rational--most readers would probably agree...well except you. That's okay because you and I can just agree to disagree at this point. Best of luck to you and your family. I hope this has been a learning process for everyone. My advice came from experience...Nothing more, nothing less. I hope readers have learned to have a PLAN in place if a pet emergency occurs, maintain good relations with your ESTABLISHED VET so he/she might reconize the voice on the answering machine when calling after hours, drive you animal the closest ANIMAL HOSPITAL during urgent pet situations, and try to remain CALM when a crisis occurs. Once again, sorry for your loss during your tragic incident. God Bless you and your family.

Well AmeeO, I guess I should have brought the animal to the door and whispered through the crack in the door. Then after calling Massie, I could have left the building and waited for Massie to call me back...But, of course he didn't. That's the thing, he never returned my call. Then I guess it would have been up to the lady in the office to clean up the puddle of blood left on the sidewalk after I left. I'm done explaining myself to you. I was also there and know exactly what happened. I almost wish she had dialed 911, because I would have gotten more help from the police than I did from you people. I'm done.

Phillipsonline, my intent was not to further agitate you or make your grief any worse. It was simply an effort to make sure people reading this blog got to see both sides of the issue. I understand that you were a very distressed pet owner in the midst of a crisis...unfortunately, I have been there also. I also know "the lady behind the door" and Dr. Massie personally & I feel strongly your description of them is inaccurate.