Policy/Legal Information
Financial Policy:
We want to provide outstanding medical care for your companion and we make every effort to charge fair and reasonable fees. Unfortunately, we don't have the funds to provide free or low cost medicine. We strongly encourage our clients to freely discuss any questions or concerns regarding our policies and to remain in good standing for the sake of their own animal's veterinary needs.
Ethically and professionally, no veterinary guarantee or warranty will be made regarding results or cure.
By signing the Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC (BVS) Client/Info Contract or the BVS Cremation Owner Consent Form, all clients or their authorized agents affirm their responsibility to comply with the obligations of the contract.
We reserve the right to establish payment plans on a case-by-case basis, however this decision is always our's to make. Unless alternative arrangements are made in advance with BVS, payment shall be due at the time of service.
Billing for veterinary services (particularly animal health emergencies) is a privilege that may be extended to clients in good standing. However, elective services, including companion animal cremation are customarily paid in full at the time of service.
Individual cremated remains are held at our office for scheduled appointments only. Clients will be notified if cremated remains are not claimed after 30 days. Bridge Veterinary Services reserves the right to choose the final disposition of cremated remains that are unclaimed after 90 days from date of service. It is the client's responsibility to claim cremated remains within 90 days. Please provide correct contact information at all times.
In the unfortunate event where a client defaults on the crematory service contract/agreement, said client may forfeit ownership and all claims to have the animal(s) returned. Consequently, BVS shall have the right to decide, at the client's expense, the final disposition of any forfeited animal(s). All pets abandoned in this manner will be treated with dignity by BVS however, their former owners will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law for services provided.
We will happily provide estimates before services upon request. We will also make a good faith effort to inform all clients of an estimate when services are expected to exceed $500.00. In some cases (clients with existing balance for example) we shall reserve the right to ask for a deposit before services.
We accept cash, personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. We do not barter.
A $35.00 handling fee applies for all bad checks.
Invoices and/or statements will be mailed approximately every 30 days. Clients are encouraged to have invoices e-mailed. Please inquire about emailing invoices.
The due date and the invoice date are the same. Without an approved payment arrangement by BVS, any balance carried over 30 days shall accrue a monthly finance charge of 1.5% or 18% per annum. Any balance left unpaid after 90 days will be turned over to a collection agency. This action may damage your credit rating. A 25% collection fee shall be assessed to anyone who is turned over to a collection agency in addition to the monthly finance charge.
Clients who are sent to a outside collection agency will be discharged from BVS and consequently will be ineligible for services, including emergency services.
Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC strives to protect on-premises goods, equipment and property. However, we acknowledge that some circumstances may be beyond even our most careful planning. Disasters like theft, earthquakes, flooding, etc., that destroy equipment or animals in our posession (intended for cremation) are almost too disheartening to imagine. In the event of such a catastrophe, we will keep you informed of all options available and do our best to find solutions.
For clients in good standing, please mail payments to: Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC 10008 Crazy Horse Dr. A-2 Juneau, Alaska 99801. You may also pay with Visa/MC/Discover by calling the office at: 907.463.5022. Thank you.
Consumer Identity Protection Policy:
In accordance with the suggestions put forth by the Federal Trade Commission's "
Red Flag's" Rules,(External link) client's or their authorized agents will be asked to provide current, government issued identification when establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship.
Client/patient information is periodically reviewed for accuracy. Please call our office to update your animal('s) medical record should any relevant information change.
Suspected fraud or non-compliance with our identity theft protection policy may result in having services suspended and/or the notification of proper investigative authorities.
Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC will comply with relevant agencies investigating identity theft as the law allows.
Security measures to protect your financial and animal(s) medical record information are in place, current, and functioning. These security measures are periodically reviewed for effectiveness.
URL Link Policy:
We have documented permission for all collaborative links on this website from their respective managers for usage.
Our policies apply only to this website. Please review the policies of our linked collaborators for legal information.
Links on this website are not advertisements but only specific sources of further reference. They are carefully researched for scientific accuracy and relevancy however we are not responsible for their content.
Disclaimer:
All information (especially medical information) on this website (www.bridgevet.com) while listed with the best intentions, is nevertheless provided at your own risk. All medical content unless otherwise listed/sourced is provided by Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC and reviewed for scientific medical accuracy by a licensed veterinarian. The importance of establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) cannot be over-emphasized when the care and well being of your animal is in question. Taking advice from this website does not constitute the establishment of a VCPR. BVS nor its collaborators assume any liability or responsibility for errors or omissions on this site. BVS is not liable for any damages you may suffer from using this site. If you believe you see an error or have a question, we encourage you to contact us to talk about it. If you would like to establish a VCPR, please contact our office for an appointment. Thank you for your understanding for our need to provide this disclaimer.
Privacy Policy:
We believe that children and adolescents under 18 should be supervised by an authorized adult when viewing this site. Only adults (18 and older unless emancipated) may establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship.
In the unfortunate event of an account becoming bad debt, we reserve the right to provide information, as allowed by US and/or Alaska law, to the appropriate individuals/agencies for collection.
Alaska Statute: AAC 68.100 Confidential Relationship: "A licensed veterinarian shall maintain a confidential relationship with the client or the client's authorized agent." We adhere to this statute. We recommend that owners who will be delegating animal care duties to others should authorize/notarize those permissions in writing so veterinary care is not delayed in an emergency.
AAC 68.100 does not prohibit veterinarians from reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty to proper authorities.
AAC 68.100 does not prohibit veterinarians from reporting in good faith the confirmed or suspected cases of communicable and/or zoonotic disease (animal to human disease transmission such as rabies) to proper authorities when required by law.
AAC 68.100 does not prohibit veterinarians from reporting adverse reactions to medications or problems with products.
If you believe that your confidential veterinary relationship as defined in AAC 68.100 has been breached, you may formally pursue your concern by contacting the Alaska Board of Veterinary Examiners. (External link) Customers for pet crematory services (without a VCPR) are not entitled to the privacy afforded specifically to veterinary clients by AAC 68.100. However, we make a good faith attempt to treat all customers with the same privacy privilege as a veterinary client. Please inform us if someone other than the owner will be picking up the cremated remains of your pet.
Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC is also dedicated to protecting your privacy on the Internet.
E-mail correspondence may become part of the medical record as does your e-mail address. We will not disclose your e-mail address without your permission.
Website survey's periodically provided by Bridge Veterinary Services are designed to be anonymous. IP addresses are not collected nor are we able to identify survey respondents.
This website is provided by Microsoft OfficeLive. OfficeLive does not collect personal information about our visitors. The data that OfficeLive collects is aggregated, which means that OfficeLive cannot identify nor define the activities of any individual.
OfficeLive does track statistics with cookies. The following information is used to help make our website better for you:
Website traffic information (how many people visit our site)
The kinds and versions of web browsers that our visitors use (we have to modify our HTML depending on the browser used to provide optimal readability)
The entry, most requested, and exit pages on our site that visitors use
The referring domains that visitors use in coming to our site
The search engine that visitors use to come to our site by direct clicks
Medical Record Policy
Medical records are maintained for the proscribed period as required by law.
Medical records (including imaging records) created by Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC are the property of Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC. Upon request of the client or the client's authorized agent, the first copy of your animal(s) medical file is available at no cost. Subsequent requests of the same records may include a fee to cover paper cost. Please provide ample notice if you will be needing your animal's records.
Digital medical records are being incorporated into our practice. Additional privacy precautions are required for clients requesting the emailing of digital records.
Funding Source Disclosure
Funding support for this website comes from Bridge Veterinary Services, a Limited Liability Company. BVS is certified by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development for Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
There are no external funding sources for this website.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
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Copyrights/Permission
No information, text or images may be physically reproduced or distributed without prior permission from the owners. Pictures of marine mammals and other protected species on this website were taken with permission/permits and may not be reproduced without owner permission.
Trademarked entities, slogans, corporate names, symbols, logos, are the sole property of its owner(s), and acknowledgement of this status is implied. All rights reserved for this website by Bridge Veterinary Services, LLC.
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