Cat owner responsible for unauthorized vet bills after pet taken in by shelter: B.C. tribunal
A Metro Vancouver pet owner won't get all of her money back after being billed for veterinary care she didn't approve of while her cat was in an animal shelter.
A civil resolution tribunal decision posted Thursday outlined a dispute between the owner of a cat named Zuki and the City of Coquitlam. The tribunal heard that Zuki went missing last September and a member of the public dropped her off at the city-run animal shelter.
"Shelter attendants immediately brought Zuki to a private veterinarian for an examination," tribunal member Micah Carmody wrote in his decision.
According to an affidavit provided by the shelter's animal care supervisor and cited by Carmody, "Zuki was dehydrated, showing leg weakness, and overall frail."
"In the (shelter) attendants’ judgment, Zuki needed a veterinary examination," Carmody's decision said. "They arranged for that service from one of Coquitlam’s contracted veterinarians immediately. Veterinary records show Zuki was given an exam, X-rays, a fluid bag and medication."
The cat was brought back from the vet to the shelter where she was picked up by her owner, who had to pay the vet bills before retrieving the cat. Not long after, Zuki was put down by her regular vet.
She paid the bills, but Zuki's owner argued the cat wasn't in distress or in need of urgent vet care, saying she "was just elderly."
Zuki's owner also argued the shelter should have released the cat right away, when she called the day her pet went missing. However, Carmody said, shelter records show Zuki was already at the vet when her owner called.
She decided to file her complaint with the CRT to get back just over $384, which she paid to the shelter.
She did acknowledge, however, that one of Zuki's legs didn't work well and that the senior cat didn't often stray far from home.
"Given the evidence that Zuki was picked up some distance from her home, had a bad leg, was elderly and was euthanized shortly afterward, I find that Zuki likely appeared to be in distress," Carmody wrote, saying his decisions were made using a balance of probabilities approach.
"Shelter attendants are not veterinarians and cannot be faulted for referring Zuki to a veterinarian immediately in the circumstances. Indeed, failing to do so may have been a breach of the duty of care."
Carmody wrote in his decision that City of Coquitlam bylaws permit an enforcement officer to seize and impound "any animal found to be 'at large,' or that appears to be suffering or in distress." The bylaw also says the owner of an impounded animal can reclaim their pet by showing proof of ownership and paying any impound fees, custodial charges and vet bills.
Zuki's owner was ultimately awarded just over $75 from the City of Coquitlam.About $14 of that was to cover a veterinarian over-expense that was never reimbursed to her, for a pain medication that was no longer needed because Zuki was put down. The rest covered part of her CRT fees and pre-judgement interest, which, even though she was denied her full claim, she was awarded because of the $14 reimbursement.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby.