Newshound, February 2022
Healthy Hogmanay
In Scotland, the new year, or Hogmanay as it’s known here, is seen as a big, if not a bigger, celebration than Christmas. That’s why we have an extra public holiday. In fact, within living memory, Christmas day was a normal working day. So, while some shops close early on Christmas Eve, most are looking to close by 3 pm on New Year’s Eve so everyone can get ready for the celebrations.
At midday on New Year’s Eve, we get a phone call asking if we can deliver dog food before we close as the customer had none and he should not be going out as he has just tested positive for Covid!.
We eventually came to a compromise that if he paid over the phone I would leave a box of dog food on the doorstep for him to collect, therefore there would be no contact between us. Halfway through giving me his credit card details, the phone went dead and he did not phone back. Strange, but what could I do?
Just before 3 pm, he appeared at the shop window brandishing his credit card to conclude payment – apparently, his phone had run out of battery halfway through paying me. Eventually, with the transaction cleared I went to put his box of food on the doorstep only to find him coming towards me … No, I put the box on the doorstep and walk away, then you approach the doorstep and collect food!
I do not want to get near anyone with Covid, I work six days a week in the shop to serve the public and am so far lurgy-free, and I want to keep it that way, thank you.
Vet fees
We’ve noticed quite an increase in people using us for advice on minor ailments and conditions in their pets and almost universally we conclude any advice with the caveat that if whatever is wrong does not clear up quickly or they are the least bit concerned then consult their own vet. We don’t want to fall foul of the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act!.
One of the main reasons cited by people is the increase in vet fees, especially consultation fees. We had to take our own dog to the vet recently because he had a sore eye and whatever it was jumped from one eye into the other eye, so he obviously needed stronger medication that we possess in the shop. Of the £93 fee, £45 was just for the consultation, which lasted less than five minutes. I don’t begrudge a professional earning a good wage but that rate of £50 an hour for my motor mechanic looks very cheap in comparison.
Phoning around other vets the average price in our area appears to be £35 to £45 for consultation, which for most people is a lot of money and which may put people off getting a pet. But much more worrying is that it could make people think twice before taking a sick pet to the vet in the first place, and that’s not good for animal welfare. In the case of smaller pets, it could be the case of parents taking the decision that it’s cheaper to let the pet die and replace it than get the required veterinary treatment, which is not how we should treat our pets in the 21st century.
To my mind, pet insurance is nowadays as important as car or house insurance and should be seen as an integral part of pet ownership. Whether that insurance should be the in-house variety or one of the national insurers is debatable, but not insuring a pet is a real risk.
Personal thanks
As I write this, I’m confined to the house on doctors orders. Nothing serious just something that needs a few days of not moving about too much and a few pills.
However, it really shows what good friends and customers we have, who are more than happy to offer their help when needed.
Firstly, I was stuck in our local hospital thirty miles away with no means of getting home until three customers all offered to come and get me. Three days later, I had to return to the hospital on the Saturday for a scan and once again customers offered to be my chauffeur. Driving is out for a week so we obviously cannot do deliveries but every customer who wanted a home delivery, when told the problem, immediately offered to come and get their stuff. It just goes to show that while you think you’re seen as just the man behind the counter, in fact, you’re appreciated as a person, which makes me feel very humble.
