Tattoo your dog? Humane Society did it to Sophie!
 

I took Sophie for her spay yesterday, as well as to be micro-chipped and have a few double teeth pulled. We went to the Humane Society because it was $200 instead of the $450 my vet was going to charge me. While I certainly saved money, Sophie paid for it and I am so angry with myself for putting her through this. :mad: The drop off in the morning was crowded, loud, and felt exactly like a crowded, urban free health clinic. (I do a lot of consulting work with urban schools in high poverty areas, so I understand that free health clinics are important community resources.) However, it was a stressful start to the process for Sophie. Then, they couldn't find the paperwork on Sophie's blood panel that I had my vet fax over to them a month ago. 3 weeks ago I confirmed with them they had received the paperwork: yes, they had. Then, on Monday I thought I'd just double-check on that. Seems the paperwork was nowhere to be found now. Hmm. Okay, so I had my vet fax it over again, and confirmed with my vet that it had been sent over. But then when I showed up yesterday, they couldn't find it. What the heck??! I insisted that I wouldn't let Sophie have the surgery without the doctors at the hs seeing her bloodwork, and the office staff kept looking and finally it turned up in... wait for it... Sophie's file! Because somehow they didn't think to look there before. (sigh) It was a stressful start to the day, but I trusted the doctors there, so I left Sophie for the spay. However, I received not one, but TWO phone calls a few hours later to confirm that I wanted Sophie's double teeth pulled and for her to be micro-chipped. Um, yeas, that's what is marked on her form. Did they lose the form?? And then when I picked her up in the afternoon, it was a madhouse. Crowded waiting room and the receptionist rattling off aftercare directions to everyone en masse like a flight attendant. No Q &A afterwards, they just started bringing pets out and handing them to owners. I did ask the receptionist a few questions, and she answered them.

But what I didn't notice was that Sophie had a HUGE black mark on her tummy. I thought maybe it was just a Sharpie marker dot indicating incision area, but it's to the right of the incision and it's HUGE. I phoned the humane society to find out what it was and it turns out THEY TATTOOED SOPHIE! The receptionist told me it was in the consent I signed and they do it so if she's picked up and take to the hs, they'll know she's already spayed. Essentially, for their possible future convenience, they disfigured my dog. Well, it was my grave mistake not reading through the teeny tiny fine print at the bottom of the form. I'll admit to that mistake, but I also let them know that TATTOOING someone's dog is a big freakin' deal and that it should be discussed with the owner, not simply done to the dog. The tattoo is larger than a dime and on her lower belly where she doesn't grow hair. For the rest of her life she'll look like a five year old has gone at her with a black marker. I'm so incredibly angry I could scream!!!! :mad: The whole experience at the humane society was a negative one and I regret very deeply that I tried to save $200 and my baby paid for it. I would advise anyone considering having his/her dog spayed at the Humane Society of Huron Valley to go elsewhere. Your baby will thank you for it!

Both my younger dogs, Lizzy, my YT and Trudy, my IG puppy, have little tatoos, both greenish to indicate they had been spayed. Until I got Lizzy, I didn't even know they did this. I am including pictures

Thanks so much for sharing your pics! I wish Sophie's was this small. I'll post pics now.

THAT IS INSANE!

Ive NEVER heard of anything like this before. How could they NOT telling you?!?!

I don't think these are as obnoxious as a big black mark might be. Also, Lizzy's tat has faded a bit in the two years I've had her. Trudy's is the smaller tat, and she got her's sometime this past spring, so her's is still pretty dark.

Tattooing was the only method used by breeders to identify their dogs, as it was required by AKC. However, the AKC preferred method is now microchipping. It's rather perplexing that the Human Society did this when your girl was microchipped at the time of her procedure.

While this does make you angry, try to look at this in a positive light, the tattoo is another manner you can identify your dog, should she become lost (I know not likely to happen), might microchipping has not become a widespread common identification process as yet. You know have two ways to prove your girl is yours.

Sophie's tattoo :-(
 

Here is a photo of it. It is HUGE on her tummy, and unfortunately, she doesn't really grow hair in this area. Grrrrrr!

I'm sorry. :( I'd be incredibly angry also if somebody tattooed my dog.:mad:

There are a few good lower cost spay/neuter facilities, but there are an extremely large number that just aren't ok. They may have their place for animals that aren't pets (i.e. feral cats), but some of the things that go on are downright scary.

I'd suggest to anybody that wants their Yorkies altered at a place with high volume surgery like this...volunteer there first (in the back). You will see exactly what goes on and then you can make a decision based on that. From what I've seen and read so far, I'd sooner leave my dogs unaltered...

At least your girl came through it ok though. :)

That is a bit much, IMO. I can understand your feelings.

I understand your frustration at the tatooing, the not so misplaced paperwork, and the mad house it must have been. I can offer only one consultation. If you search here on the forum there was a post not so long ago from a woman who took her girl in for a spay.This girl was a rehome, when the vet opened her up they found she had already been spayed. This poor little girl was put under anestesia and cut open, because no one knew the procedure had already been done by someone else prior. Only good I can see is your little girl will never have that happen to her.

Wow, I can understand how upset you must be. At the least, your post will educate others on this - I would have never guessed they'd do this without telling you. Tattoo or not, Sophie is still a living doll!

And she's still recovering and now suffering with an infection and allergic reaction to the antibiotics, based on her latest post I read today. :(

If you are talking about Maddie....she was NOT taken in for a spay. She was taken in to fix a botched tail dock and to have her teeth cleaned! The unnecessary second "spay" was "complimentary" and NOT asked for :rolleyes::rolleyes: And now she is dealing with a secondary infection :(

I can understand you being upset, it is awfully large. But on the other hand, in light of what happened to Maddie, I would much rather my dog have a black mark versus being subjected to unnecessary surgery.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...-will-end.html

I looked into a couple spay/neuter clinics around here. Their charge was about half of what my vet quoted. But when I started really comparing, I found that they didn't do pre-op blood work and pain medications for home were extra. When added in, the actual difference for Rhett's neutering was only about $20.00.

I can't imagine... I would be LIVID! Thank you for sharing your story; we can all learn from this.

Thanks for sharing so others will know that this is a possibility.

What!!
 

That huge blob is supposed to tell somebody she is spayed!! Is there a code somewhere that explains what these sorts of "tattoos" are supposed to indicate. When it fades some it will just look like a birthmark or something. Unless she is lost and shows up at that particular place no one will have a clue what that is supposed to mean. Isn't the surgical scar enough?

I just read your posts about Maddie's surgery mistakes-- poor little thing! I hope she heals quickly!

Exactly! I talked to a friend today who said that she adopted a shelter dog who had a tiny blue-green line (about 1/2" long) tattooed on her tummy and she had no idea what it meant... neither did her vet! While the shelter who did it might know, other people did not.

Wow... That is a big mark for such a little girl :(

However, thanks for sharing your story... I definitely will be reading the fine print when it comes time to spay my little one!

My dad has a dog he got for HS and she is tattooed as well, but it is a thin line along the scar, not a big blotch like that. Thats not cool, if they are going to do it, they should at least make it less obtrusive. Something small and discreet would be better.

Okay, when I read "tattoo" in your original post, I thought of letters or numbers to identify her. But that is just a big blob. What is that supposed to mean to anyone else?? I'm sorry you're upset about this. I don't want to make you feel worse but I feel you're justified in feeling that way. My Tatum has a "tattoo" of her own sorts.... a big freckle in her ear. You can clearly see it since her ears stand up.

A few months ago MaddiesMommie had both her girls spayed together on the same day. When she picked them up that night she was panicked about the black spot of Maddie's tummy. Turned out that it was a tattoo and the vet hadn't told her about being required to do it. I agree that it should have been discussed with you but you also have to realize that there are a LOT of irresponsible owners and many dogs end up strays or in the pound. It is done for the betterment of the all animals so they do not end of have unnecessary surgeries. Do you know if it is a law in your area? Some parts of the country it is required of all spayed animals to be tattooed regardless if it is the Humane Society or private vet.

I believe that Mardelin previously mentioned about being chipped but I would like to clarify this since a chip would not indicate if a dog were spayed or not. But the tattoo would be there permanently.

Unfortunately, these types of problems are seen in rescues all the time when the scar is so small that a vet is unable to tell if a spay had already been done or not.

I was horrified when I discovered these "huge" black spots between my girls little legs. I didn't see them until later that evening and the office was closed. I would like to mention I did not use a low-cost facility, this is our regular vet.

I was on the phone with Jodi and emailing her pictures because I was not sure if it was a blood clot, a bruise or what. She kept me calm until I was able to call the vet the next morning and that is when I learned it was a spay tatoo.

No one wants to think about their babies ever ending up in a shelter or another home. However, we have read stories here of babies being lost or stolen. This tattoo prevents our babies from being put through an unneccesary surgery should the unthinkable happen. LJ shared her experiences with me where this does happen in rescues. You get an older dog, put her under only to find she has already been spayed.

I don't really pay it any attention now. The blackness seemed much larger than it is now due to bruising from the tatoo. After talking to our vet, I was only upset they didn't let me choose a butterfly or something for their tattoo. :p

I am attaching a pic of Maddie's belly the day of her surgery. Just don't look at her girly parts! ;)

Wonder why it's just a big blob (which could possibly be mistaken for a birthmark or other discoloration) and not the word "spayed". Seems to me that would be more logical and less open to misinterpretation.

It may be hard to see, but Maddie's is actually the female sign with a line through it.

This is what my girl's look like. THIS IS NOT MY DOG, only using this picture to show what their tattoo looks like. :)

Oh, that's cool. Not much chance that would be mistaken for a birthmark :p

I'm going to ask my vet about having it done when it's time for Scarlett to get spayed.

I think it is a good idea.

Awwww- a freckled Yorkie!! That's just about the cutest thing ever!