Archive Vet Bill

Streaming video is only available to Canadian visitors.

Animation, 6:35 minutes, English, NS, 2008

Synopsis

Vet Bill is a story about how deeply we commit ourselves to the love and care of our "best friends"...as revealed through the shocking total of one 12-year-old Labrador Retriever's vet bills.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Angela Mombourquette

Personal statement

Director Angela Mombourquette says:

"
Vet Bill is a film that only a compulsive keeper of things (like me) could have made.  Over the years, I have actually kept every receipt from every visit my dog has made to the veterinarian. I’m also an avid photographer, so I’ve taken a LOT of puppy pictures.
 
Last year, when Emma nearly died (for the second time), I started thinking…will I ever total up that big file of bills I’ve been keeping?  I had been thinking it would wait until she passed on…but I was beginning to get curious.
 
Vet Bill is not the story of a dog-obsessed animal lover. In fact, Emma is the first dog I’ve ever had.  And it’s not the story of an extraordinary doggie-illness and the lengths I’ve gone to in order to keep my “best friend” alive. It’s just regular dog stuff, and that’s what makes the final tally so shocking.
 
Was it all worth it?  Just look at that face."

Selected festivals and awards

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