Promises made under dire circumstances:  Emergency Vet Care

On the night of a predicted Blizzard, Marlene Kess sent me home with a very sick cat.  The cat had her face pressed to the bars of the carrier and would let out a low moan every few minutes.  When I arrived home I called Marlene and told her that this cat was in very bad shape.  I was afraid of even having her in my apartment even though she was in a separate cage. 

“Put her in your closet, “ was Marlene’s advice. 

“What?!  That’s awful, she could die in there!” 

“Take her to your vet.”

“There’s a blizzard predicted and it’s already 6pm.”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you.”

I called my vet and told him about the emergency, he let me bring the cat in.  He immediately became concerned and took the cat’s temperature. 

“This cat is burning up, her brain is on fire.  She’s dying slowly and painfully.”

I called Marlene and described the situation to her.  She wanted the Doctor to give the cat Supportive Care.  She had to locate Barbara who was the cat’s “owner”.  She could not locate Barbara and time was moving along with the cat in pain.  My doctor finally lost his patience with Marlene:  Supportive care for a dying cat in Pain?  I made a decision and had the cat humanely euthanized.  Days later, Barbara gave me the cold shoulder and Marlene claimed the vet just wanted to close up for the night and that’s why the cat was euthanized.  No one reimbursed me for the office visit or for the disposal of the body.  No one even mentioned it.

Another time Marlene sent me home with a litter of adorable kittens.  They seemed healthy but a day later one stopped eating and began vomiting.  He went from being lively to being totally weak and listless.  I told Marlene, who told me “take him to your vet.”  Imagine my shock when the vet said to bring them all down – they had distemper.  My heart broke.  My vet told me, “they must be humanely euthanized, they seem healthy now but when the distemper takes over it’s a painful death.”  Such heartbreak is not something you want to go through.  I was sick in bed for a week over their deaths.  No one reimbursed me for the office visit or for the disposal of the bodies.  No one even mentioned it.

When I turned on the TV the news was showing a picture of a large house in NJ.  The prompter promised a “house of horrors” story.  I almost choked when I saw them filming Marlene Kess sauntering up the driveway to this house!  I had to sit down when they explained that there were plastic bags on the property containing the carcasses of over 200 cats.  The inside of the house was deplorable, sick cats were roaming around with healthy cats.

I called Marlene immediately.  She was upset and wanted details of what I saw.  At the time she didn’t deny anything.  The phone call was brief.  I don’t remember much of what was said, I just couldn’t believe I knew this person who weekly took home many sick cats that weren’t adopted at Petco in Manhattan.

More secrets come out

The bill for construction:  Marlene’s House was being renovated using KK funds: 

The new Board plays stupid:  What cats?  What money?

Let’s be real here, Hilary Harris often got lists from me which she conveniently lost.  She actually drove me home with cats on more than one occasion.  Did they think they would just “clean the slate” by claiming ignorance of accounts owed and cats in foster?  Sadly, volunteers who knew what was going on kept silent.