The following link discusses the Value Vet and Clinico proposals. Ed Boks dated this letter to the Commission August 21, 2008.
http://www.laanimalservices.com/PDF/commission/2008/Addl%20info%20on%20SpayNeuter%20clinic%20awards-%20Memo%20to%20Board.pdf
The specifics with respect to Value Vet's spay/neuter charges as well as Boks stating they are not just going to be a spay/neuter clinic, but a full service vet clinic--in competition with other local private veterinarians, can be found on pages 5-6. Page 5 states Value Vet will be a full service clinic.
Page 6 specifically compares Value Vet's charges with Clinico's. Value Vet's charges are 300% higher than Clinico's across the board, that is, almost 4 times as high..
This next link is the minutes to the Commission meeting a few days later. Only Commissioner Riordan voted against Value Vet.
I hope the Commission will not make the same error when it comes to the West Valley shelter clinic. Reject the Value Vet proposal and demand a new RFP (Request for Proposals) that either will open bidding to vets who will provide not only the shelter's S/N needs, but who will offer REALLY affordable S/H, such as Clinico, and the incentive is that they can open a full service veterinary clinic, or, allow Clinico to bid on the West Valley contract.
http://laanimalservices.com/PDF/commission/2008/8_25_08%20Minutes.pdf
The strange thing is that two years ago--I believe--it was part of Animal Services budget to hire six vets just to do S/N surgeries in house. Somewhere along the way that idea was dropped. Too bad.
I guess Boks figured it was too difficult for Department personnel to rise to that task and therefore they'd would task it out. Or, they lost the funding for those positions. I'll locate that letter to the Commission in a bit.
9 comments:
Won't it confuse the public if different shelters charge different prices for public sterilizations?
Lack of forsight on this one. Boks and Barth were so eager to open those clinics, they never considered the fallout from this kind of pricing. Did they?
Good deal for Value Vet.
Bad deal for Angelenos.
Is there Value Vet stock that I can buy?
Value Vet is a privately owned veterinary practice, owned by Ed McCobb and his wife.
Dr. Steve Feldman, now LAAS Deputy Chief Vet used to be my veterinarian at the West Valley location. After he left, they hired a hack named Moorehead who got terrible reviews and substantially increased their prices.
Since then, they hired Dr. Abdelmalak who continues in Moorehead's tradition of escalating prices and, in my opinion, very sub par treatment of hospitalized animals at their Canoga Park location. Abdelmalak, no doubt, will be in charge of the city-West Valley shelter's S/N program if Value Vet gets the contract.
As two perons now tell me, they were quoted a $500 charge for spaying a 120 pound dog, and Abdelmalak charged me $500 surgery fee alone for a 45 minute exploratory surgery, or $670/hour.
Yet Boks and Barth seem determined to give the contract to thee price gouging, and in my opinion, hacks.
Clinico seems to be looking for a new Executive Director (want ad posted on Found Animals site.) So I'm wondering if those prices aren't about to increase as well?
Clinico is under contract with the City. They can't raise their prices until their term is over.
That is not true. The contract does not control the prices to the pubilc. My question is why is Founda Animals searching for an executive director rather than Clinico themselves? Is FAF taking over Clinico?
Boks sent a review to the Commission; the fees were spelled out both for the City and the public. The links are posted.
The FA site attaches the link for the employment agency that is doing the searching. They did the same for when Martin was hired.
They are not doing the screening or hiring themselves.
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