Atlanta Pilot Bailed Out by Caring Stranger, Carol Diamantis
If Carol Diamantis isn’t a Dogster, she should be! She’s a lovely role model for us all!
And Josh, please keep up the vaccinations!
Thanks to AJC.com for this article.
Stranger pays pup’s $972 bill
‘Pilot’ caught in dispute between vet, ownerBy BEN SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/18/07A puppy that seemed destined for the pound and possible death was reunited with his owner late Tuesday.
Pilot the dog had been held “hostage” at the vet’s office, the dog’s owner said in a lawsuit, because of a dispute over an unpaid bill. The veterinarian, Dr. Garry Innocent, released Pilot after a donor stepped forward to make good on the debt about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
“I feel better than ever,” said Josh Gomez, as he petted and hugged his dog in the parking lot outside PetFIRST Animal Hospital in Duluth. “I’m just glad it’s done.”Carol Diamantis of Brookhaven paid $972 in cash to free Pilot.
Diamantis, Gomez and his attorney, Ed McCrimmon, paid a surprise visit to PetFIRST Animal Hospital late Tuesday— the deadline Innocent set for Gomez to make good on his debt. If the 22-year-old dog owner didn’t pay up, the vet warned, Innocent would declare Pilot “abandoned” and sell, give away or take the dog to Gwinnett County’s animal shelter, where the dog could be put to sleep.
Georgia law allows veterinarians to “dispose of” a pet 10 days after demanding, in writing, that its owner pay the animal’s medical bill in full.
Pilot had been held in the clinic since Aug. 26, when Gomez took Pilot to PetFIRST for treatment. Innocent diagnosed Pilot with Parvovirus, a potentially deadly condition. The dog was held for three days for treatment.
When Gomez went to pick up his dog, he paid the vet $1,152, the amount he said the clinic had quoted him. Innocent, however, said he never quoted that figure to Gomez and that the real amount Gomez owed was $1,640. That amount has increased since Aug. 29, when Gomez showed up to get Pilot, because of the boarding costs.
The cash Diamantis ponied up Tuesday afternoon settles the bill once and for all, Innocent said.
“I’m happy,” the vet said. “All is well.”
Just days ago, however, it was a very different story.
In a letter dated Sept. 8, Innocent informed Gomez that if he didn’t pay the bill, he would “report this matter to all authorities including Gwinnett County Animal Control for pet abandonment and disposal.”
Gomez then filed suit to block Innocent from sending his dog to the pound.
Diamantis said she stepped forward after reading news accounts of the pet’s possible demise.
“If I was in the position, I would hope somebody would help me out,” said Diamantis, who brought her two sons with her.
Follow this link to read the rest of the article.
What an a$$ he couldn’t take payments on the difference?
The guy must have wanted his dog back if he put up over $1,000. to begin with, Sounds to me Innocent is a greedy money hungry vet….
I think that vet is only in it for the money. Where was his thinking??? To have the dog destroyed over a few dollars. SHAME ON HIM!! The man paid the majority of the bill up front, and should have been worked with to get the rest of the bill paid. If the vet has a conscious at all, he should refund the cost of boarding the dog after the man came to pay the bill, and pick the dog up.
Sometimes we are truly blessed to hear of those good people like Carol Diamantis. If all of us could do random acts of kindness this world would be a far better place to live.
We then might be able to live up to the standards set by our beloved four legged family members.
Under Georgia law, veterinarians can hold pets when owners don’t pay their bills. If an owner doesn’t settle up within 10 days of receiving a demand for payment, the animal is declared “abandoned.” It can be sold, given away or sent to a shelter and possibly euthanized.
Pilot the dog was not neutered or vaccinated and was successfully treated by the vet for Parvo
The vet disputes Gomez’s claim regarding the cost of his services. He said Gomez was informed about the growing charges every day that he visited the dog. (the amount in each of the newspaper articles is different so who knows what the original ESTIMATE really was?)
Gomez did not pay his bill in full.
Gomez last visited the dog on August 29th.
On September 8th Gomez received a letter from the vet regarding point number 1 regarding Georgia law. So ten days elapsed from Gomez’s last visit to his dog and the issuance of this letter.
Gomez must have contacted the newspaper to put his position out there in the court of public opinion as the first article appeared on September 14th or maybe his lawyer made the call. So six days passed between receiving the letter from the vet and the appearance of the first newspaper article.
Most bloggers/responses to this article vilify the vet. The word “hostage� evokes strong emotions.
Was the lawyer involved in this case working pro bono or for a fee? If for a fee, why not pay the bill first and then take the case the court?
Mr. Gomez was shown the release forms that stated payment must be made in full. No loan options or payment plans are available at PetFirst 24.
Bloggers/responses ask why a payment plan wasn’t worked out for the remaining balance see the point above. All my vets have the same policy and the policy is posted in clear view of the front counter.
The vet made some big PR mistakes, but bottom line is that it is a business and the vet has bills to pay and staff to pay and Mr. Gomez is probably not the only person to not pay for services rendered.
Gomez wanted his dog back without paying any more money and because a good Samaritan stepped up he didn’t have to pay, but what happens to Pilot now? Or the question is what happens to Pilot the next time?
Does Gomez expect the court of public opinion to continue to help him with health issues that Pilot may face in the future? Is he going to neuter Pilot? Does Pilot have a rabies vaccination? Is Pilot on heart worm medication? Dog care is expensive and love alone does not keep a dog healthy.
The lawyer called the police to be present at the exchange of cash for dog. The vet probably demanded cash as payment because there are things called bounced checks and he had no way of knowing that this wasn’t a publicity stunt with a stop payment looming in his future. Since the media was there to take pictures and write the rest of the story the lawyer or Gomez must have contacted them.
Gomez gets his dog back, the good Samaritan makes the news, and the lawyer gets a lot of “free� publicity and the vet is still the “bad� guy.
I believe that there was a lot more to this story that didn’t make the news…sure I feel sorry for Pilot, but I’m sure that the reason that my vet bills are high have something to do with other pet owners walking out on their responsibilities and leaving the rest of us with higher bills as a result. Vets cannot extend payments to everyone, they’d soon go out of business.
It seems like only a few years ago, but I know that it has been longer that my doctor, dentist, and vet did extend payments over time, but now they all ask for payment before you leave. There must be an economic reason for this change in policy…we have a responsibility to pay for services rendered.
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