Absolutely Disgusted.

I have never been more appalled by the ethics - or complete lack thereof - of a veterinarian in my life.

One of our dogs suddenly began foaming at the mouth. We had already lost another dog to the same terrifying symptoms a few months earlier, so panic doesn’t even begin to describe the state we were in. Our own vet wasn’t answering. Desperate, we managed to get the number for Three Rivers Veterinary Clinic and called Dr Johan Swanepoel as a last hope.

My mother, hysterical, sobbing, and shaking with fear, begged him for help.

He flatly refused.

He said he would not help anyone after hours unless they were an existing client. When we explained that he had treated our dog before, he shouted back at her: “Yes, but only as an outpatient!”

My mother then asked - through tears - “So what must I do? Am I going to lose my dog?”

His response?

“Not my problem.”

Those were his words. Delivered while angrily shouting at a terrified woman who believed her dog was dying in front of her.

I am still in disbelief. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This wasn’t a policy explained calmly. This was cruelty. A complete absence of empathy. A total disregard for animal life and basic human decency.

If you are ever considering going to this vet, don’t. Do yourself - and your animals - a favour and stay far away. When it mattered most, when fear and urgency were real, he showed exactly who he is.