A west Michigan family takes their German Shepherd to a pet emergency room after complications from a routine operation, but you wouldn't believe why they refused to treat the dog.

After Marley was rushed to the pet E.R. they found that she was bleeding internally, and the medical staff had to operate. The operation to find out where the bleeding was coming from would cost more than $1,700.

The family applied for a credit card, but denied. They tried for a payment plan with the vet, denied. The pet hospital told them there was nothing they could do without being paid.

The family then took Marley home, where she later died.

The pet hospital released this statement:

"We are very sorry to have learned of the passing of Ms. Kellogg's pet.  We also understand the strong emotional reaction many have had to her story.  Over the years we have provided care to thousands of animals and we are committed to operating an ethically responsible and compassionate emergency practice.

At the same time, the costs of care - particularly the costs of complex medical, intensive care and surgical procedures - force pet owners and caregivers alike into impossible, heartbreaking situations every day.  We did everything we could for Ms. Kellogg's dog up to the point of initiating a risky and complex exploratory surgery that would have cost thousands with no assurance of payment.  As a small business, we simply could not stay open if we did these kinds of procedures.

Our hospital provides a vital service to the community and we care very deeply about our patients and their families.  But we simply could not continue to provide these services to our community if we did not have policies that reflect financial realities of emergency animal care.  We have a very caring, compassionate and dedicated staff, each of whom has chosen emergency medicine as their life's work because of their love of animals and their commitment to doing the best they can to help the pets in our community.

We have a limited staff, and like everyone else, only so many hours in our day (and night).  As a result, our focus needs to be on our patients and we will have no other comment on this topic."

(Source: WWMT)

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