Moray pet owners say “pets are going to die” as another veterinary centre moves emergency out of hours service to Inverness and Aberdeen
THOUSANDS of pet owners have backed a petition to restore emergency out of hours care in Moray after another veterinary practice in the region announced that it will transfer the service to Inverness and Aberdeen.
Last month, The Northern Scot reported that clients of the Wards Veterinary Centre in Elgin had been advised to contact a practice in Inverness if they needed care for their pets out of hours.
The centre, owned by IVC Evidensia which describes itself as a “global leader in veterinary care”, said that the decision had been made to give clients a “sustainable” and “improved” out of hours service.
Seafield Veterinary Group, which has practices in Keith and Buckie, transferred its out of hours service to Aberdeen last year. It is also owned by IVC Evidensia.
The company is now doing the same with the Speyside Veterinary Practice, which has vets in Aberlour and Fochabers, meaning every practice the company owns in Moray no longer offers an out of hours service in the region.
IVC Evidensia say they have been left with no other option due to a “severe shortage” of vets in Moray.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We are sorry to say this may mean a longer drive for some pet owners.
“However, we believe the dedicated service we’ll be able to offer at Highland Vet Referrals (Inverness) and Vets Now (Aberdeen) is the only sustainable option to help ensure the welfare of the animals we treat.”
Pet owners have expressed concerns over the decision.
Jo Keown, who owns two dogs and is a client of Speyside Veterinary Practice in Fochabers, says that the move may mean unnecessary suffering for pets and their owners who will now have to travel over an hour out of their way to access much needed care in the event of an emergency.
Over 2000 people have signed a petition she set up to reverse the decision and there is hope that IVC Evidensia will take notice.
“This decision has not been made in the local practices or in the best interests of local people,” Ms Keown said.
“It’s actually dangerous on so many levels. I know that I would be distraught if anything happened to my pets so my attention wouldn’t be on driving.
“These big companies pretty much own the majority of vets in Moray so they’ve left us with nowhere to go really.
“Not to mention the fact that they’ve effectively taken the out of hours service away from people who can’t drive because if they knew anything about public transport in Moray they would know it isn’t reliable. It just wouldn’t be practical.
“Pets are going to die but I sincerely hope we can make a difference with the petition.
“If it doesn’t, then I think it’s important to show together that we are not going to lie down and let them steamroll over us.”
IVC Evidensia will offer a “video vet service” for clients who cannot travel with consultations available seven days a week between 8am and 11pm.
An out of hours service will also be retained for farm animals.
However, that decision has led to confusion as to why an out of hours service cannot be retained for pets within Moray.
Seafield client Sarah McDonald, who owns Sarah’s Pet Services, says that the decision to move the service adds further pressure on her and her business.
Owner of 10 kennels, Ms McDonald can have up to 30 dogs in her care at any given time.
“It’s a big responsibility for us because obviously a lot of the dogs in our care aren’t ours,” she said.
“It’s added extra stress knowing that we may have to travel so far if something did go wrong.
“We take in dogs for rehoming as well. A lot of them are in quite bad condition and they don’t travel well.
“But we’ve got livestock as well and if there is a problem with them we could still get a vet out of hours.
“That makes it worse in my eyes because it must mean that they do have staff for this.”
Like thousands of other Moray pet owners, Ms McDonald has signed the petition to reverse the decision.
She added: “I think it’s good to at least shed some light on this.
“I would like to think that the petition will make a difference but I’m not that hopeful that it will.
“It just feels like it will take something terrible to happen for something to change.”
