My name is Ben Santoli. I feel the need to share my experience with Siena Animal Hospital. I do this out of a belief that as a community we need to make each other aware of the practices of the businesses in our community not out of any hope for gain for myself. Nothing can be done to make me or my family whole again. On 10/1 we awake to find our 6 year old Rottweiler in distress. She had been vomiting and off her food the day before but that was not really uncommon for her. She was in good spirits and active and alert. This morning however she was very sick. Her eyes were red and she was drooling a great deal. We took her to the nearest animal hospital which was Siena Animal Hospital and were waiting there when they opened at 8 am. She was seen by Dr. Allala who told us that she had swallowed a foreign object and needed surgery. She said they would stabilize her and the procedure had a very high success rate. We were then told that the procedure would cost between $2, 300 and $2, 800 dollars. We did not have that and after failing to qualify for credit we were introduced to the owner of the animal hospital Tony Mckee. Mr. Mckee then told us to call any friends, relatives or charities we could think of. This was not an option. I told Mr. Mckee that I could give him $1, 000 immediately and I would give him postdated checks for the balance. He refused, which is certainly his right. He said that it would cost his hospital $2, 000 to perform the procedure. He said he would accept that and the rest in payments and I was welcome to try to find another hospital that could do it for less. I made two calls and both of them said that they would do it for $1, 000. This meant that the actual retail cost for the procedure was $1, 000 and Mr. Mckee misrepresented an objective material fact when he stated it would cost his hospital $2, 000 to perform the procedure and he was making a profit of $300. He has a right to charge and make whatever profit he wishes but he does not have the right to lie to vulnerable victims in his attempts to make a greater profit. We immediately paid the bill there and took our dog to one of the other Vet’s. When we got there the vet told us she had gone to long without being stabilized. We were at Siena Animal from 8 am until 11 am and they never made any attempts to offer her any aid. No fluids or nutrients had been given to her and in that three hours and shortly after her arrival at the other vet she crashed and died before the surgery could be performed. I do not know if she could have survived the surgery had basic humanitarian aid been started at Siena, but we could have tried. They took away any chance she had to be saved because Mr. Mckee felt it was more important to hold strong as a sales closer to go after two in the bush instead of one in the hand. There is no excuse for not offering her basic aid. We made it clear we could and would pay for that. It is un ethical and immoral and inhumane. After spending three hours at Siena and two hours at the other clinic it is easy to see that Siena is a failing business. They only had two customers in that Three hours and the other clinic had dozens. Mr. McKee is not a good businessman and he is a poor excuse for a human. I am sure he will face great karmic consequences for this action. I just want to make sure all potential future victims are aware of the sales practices and tactics at Siena Animal Hospital.
0 comments