Cat owner ‘baffled’ by Calgary Humane Society’s home visit for senior feline

A Calgary cat owner says he is facing a dilemma—a pricey dental surgery for his elderly pet, or else surrender it.

A local cat owner says he was shocked to receive a surprise visit by the Calgary Humane Society after taking his senior cat Leo to a veterinarian this summer.

Adam Nixon says he arrived home from work in late July to find a mass under Leo’s chin.

“I got some antibiotics, I had him looked at, I did the assessment,” Nixon said. “The result was they wanted some antibiotics for the cat and some painkillers, and then also recommended dental treatment.”

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Nixon says the vet bill for the July 24 visit was $266.24, which included an examination, an oral medication called Clindamycin and another medication called Buprenorphine.

During the visit to the VCA Marlborough Animal Hospital, the vet recommended Nixon sign off on dental surgery for his feline, costing anywhere from $1,200 to $1,500.

Nixon was told the surgery would remove all of Leo’s teeth.

He says he worried the surgery would be risky for his 15-year-old cat, and didn’t sign off on it.

Months later, on Oct. 8, Nixon received a home visit from the Calgary Humane Society.

“I get a knock on my door from peace officers, and they ask me to commit to taking him to the to a vet in order to have him assessed and treated for dental disease,” Nixon said. “There were no X-rays done at the first consultation. I don’t know why they have this predetermined result that he already has dental disease.”

Nixon says he was handed a compliance order and told he had two weeks to comply – by Oct. 22 – or he’d face consequences.

The order states that Nixon must:

• Have Leo assessed and treated by a licensed veterinarian for dental disease;
• Follow through with at least one recommended treatment option to completion; and,
• Contact a Calgary Humane Society peace officer once completed.

“One of the officers even commented that he ‘doesn’t look like a 15-year-old cat,’” Nixon said.

“And so, for him to be in that condition and for them to continue to deliver the order is baffling to me.”

Nixon says says he went to two other vets to try to price out the surgery.

Both said it would cost hundreds of dollars, but it was less than what VCA was going to charge.

“I would like some tangible evidence in order to put him through the risky surgery,” Nixon said.

“I got two vets that told me normally this is an optional treatment, but because the humane society is involved, it’s not optional anymore.”

CTV News contacted VCA, which confirmed it referred the case to the humane society, and said all further questions should be directed to the organization.

Brad Nichols, director of enforcement at the Calgary Humane Society, says although he cannot speak to the specifics of Nixon’s case as it is under investigation, compliance orders generally come from lodged complaints.

“There is an obligation to report on behalf of veterinarians as well,” Nichols said. “So, we do get a fair number of those calls. We are duty bound to investigate.”

Nichols says that in most cases, the humane society would investigate cases causing an animal to be in distress and whether there is failure to provide adequate medical care.

“If an animal is found to be in distress and it reaches the threshold for a charge, that individual, if convicted, could face up to a $20,000 fine and up to a lifetime prohibition from owning animals,” Nichols said. “People do tend to be a bit impulsive, obtaining pets, not really thinking about what’s to come. We all know that veterinary care can be very expensive. The other silver bullet there is, is pet insurance.”

Nichols said compliance orders are a form of education.

“It’s an informal document that really just lays out what we’ve told them verbally,” he said.

“It is most easy for us when we already have direction from a veterinarian, who has reported concern of veterinary non-compliance.”

If someone is found in non-compliance, the animal could be seized, the medical care would then take place, and the owner would be billed, according to Nichols.

‘Charged all the fees’

“If I don’t comply, the animal will be seized from my care and given the treatment,” Nixon said. “And then if I want to petition him to come back to me, I will be charged all the all the fees associated with that.”

“I’m just afraid that, if I don’t give up my cat, I will be fined. And I’m looking at that,” said Nixon.

“I think that the best option for my cat’s well-being, to not have him go through the risky surgery. And I know there’s some people out there that are going to say, ‘just do the surgery.’ If I had some indication that he was in pain, that he needed this, it wouldn’t be a question in my mind – but I don’t want to risk not getting the cat that I have back.”