Katie Hopkins slams vets after elderly woman banned from room while dog was put down

TV personality Katie Hopkins has called the act of not allowing a pet owner to be with their pet as it’s being put down during the pandemic “inhumane”.

Her comments came after spotting a story on Instagram of an elderly woman who was told she couldn’t enter one veterinary surgery with her dog for Covid-related reasons, leaving her “in tears”.

The former star of The Apprentice, who grew up in Barnstaple, shared a screenshot of the Instagram post from a user called ‘vmjp1969’, which read: “Talking to an elderly lady earlier and she was telling me how she had to have her beloved dog put down last week… AND SHE WASN’T ALLOWED IN!!!

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“She had to say good bye at the door and watch as her dog was taken away, all the time he kept looking back at her. How is this allowed?? ‘Government rules’ apparently.”

Hopkins then responded to the woman’s post by writing: “omg. That poor lady. Wish I had been there. She would have been going in. Or doggie put down in her own home. Not that cruelty. Love her heart xx”.

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And, sharing it to her own page, Katie wrote: “Heartbreaking. Do not let vets do this to you and your best friend.

“There are ways around this. Do not be bullied by these b******s.

“This is inhumane – to animal and owner. For what? These people are enjoying power & causing the pain of others.”

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Her fans responded in their thousands, with one Instagram user commenting: “How are people having Tattoos, piercings, Haircuts etc but we are not allowed in with out pets ! F****** ridiculous.”

The original poster even continued her story in the TV star’s comments and said: “The elderly gentleman (her husband ) was in floods of tears , leaning on the car as he couldn’t steady himself , yet the vet just took his little doggy … something needs to change”.

Other users then began commenting with their own tales of similar experiences when having to put down a pet during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A used called ‘lynncad24’ recalled: “They tried to do this to me when I lost my beloved GSD last July.

“Told me to drop her off in the car park and they would ‘deal’ with her… over my dead body was that going to happen.

“It took me over 24 hours of phone calls but I eventually found a sympathetic vet who came to my house (yes despite Covid) and put her to sleep in our arms in the back garden… and yes Katie they are inhumane.

“I said that to my vet on the phone. I said where is your compassion you are supposed to be an animal lover.

“He replied that he had to think of the safety of the humans. I had been with them for 12 years and paid a monthly healthy pet plan all of that time and in her hour of need they didn’t want to know.”

What are the official rules on visiting vets in such circumstances during the pandemic?

Government advice found on Gov.uk says: “If your animal needs vet treatment, phone first to arrange the best way to meet their needs.

“You can leave your home to access urgent veterinary services when you’re self-isolating. You should only do this if it is not possible for another person to take the animal to the vet.”

The British Veterinary Association has been releasing updates to its guidance for veterinary professionals when it comes to ‘minimising client contact’ as restrictions continue to be eased.

These include:

There is also guidance on ‘providing care for pets from households with owners who are in vulnerable groups’.

This states: “Some clients may be social distancing to protect their own health, if they have underlying health conditions or are over 70 for example. The APHA Briefing Note 10/20 Advice for Veterinarians and their Clients on Pets and COVID-19 sets out that to support these clients, consider organising collection or posting of medication.

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“A friend or relative may be able to visit the practice with the pet. However, if this is not possible, consider other ways in which you may be able to support the owner and pet such as:

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has also been supplying vets with guidance as the government’s own rules change.

Its website says: “We have published new Covid recovery guidance for the veterinary professions in the UK, to replace our previous emergency guidance and help veterinary practices continue a gradual return to near-normal operations, subject to a number of provisions.

“The recovery guidance aligns with the UK governments’ collective intention to open up parts of the indoor economy.

“Subject to each government’s plans remaining in place, our new guidance enables practices across the UK to provide services to clients in accordance with their professional judgement, the ongoing requirement to maintain biosecurity and social distancing, and any other relevant government guidelines and restrictions.”

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