Charges for being a good Samaritan!

While taking a breath of fresh air from my fourth floor balcony one night recently I noticed a cat in the middle of the road below. It was quite obvious that a passing car had hit the unfortunate animal. The cat was in agony and crying out in pain.

I called the mobile number of a vet who told me to call 5004 3888 for assistance. Upon answering my call, someone called Nicolas informed me that I had already been charged the sum of Lm2 for calling, plus a call charge, plus Vat, and that he had already deducted the amount from my account which would show on my next phone bill!

I explained about the cat and was told I would have to pay a further charge of Lm10 to call out the vet and I would have to pay further charges for any medication given! I declined, feeling most aggrieved at the "hidden" charges. By early morning the cat had managed to drag itself to the edge of the pavement and was unbelievably still alive and suffering. I decided to call the vet in St Paul's Bay, Mirelle Vella. She promptly reassured me she would call the SPCA to give the animal pain relief and collect the animal so that she could treat it herself or humanely put it to sleep. I was called some 20 minutes later by the SPCA who put my mind at rest that they had collected the cat.

I would like to give my thanks to Dr Vella and the SPCA for acting as quickly as they did. They are in fact the good Samaritans who didn't ask for payment (even though I offered) unlike the so-called emergency services who deducted money from my phone account for nothing.