I HAVE been following with great interest the ongoing dispute between Dr. Edgar Tudor and Dr. Ignacio Dela Cruz regarding the latter’s operating a DLNR clinic every other Tuesday morning to provide services to pet owners. From what I have gathered Dr. Tudor wants the clinic to cease operation and claims that he may have to shut down his clinic because he is losing customers and needs their business to pay debts incurred to set up and maintain a modern facility.
The comments attributed to Dr. Tudor in Tuesday’s Variety are, for the most part, self-serving and about what I would expect from an individual who wants to have a monopoly on the delivery of veterinary services in the commonwealth. What is wrong with having a little competition? Let’s look at the realities a little closer. The DLNR clinic is not equipped to handle complex operations and, even if it were, it is only open one half a day every other week. If it is “not about the money” as Dr. Tudor claims, then what is the hullabaloo all about? Providing a humane way of putting animals to sleep and giving them needed inoculations at affordable prices once every two weeks is not going to result in a major loss of income to Dr. Tudor. It may result in a decline in the number of stray animals and provide less affluent pet owners with an affordable alternative. I doubt that many of the folks who opt to go to the DLNR clinic can afford the services of Dr. Tudor. Those that can and feel that he provides quality care to their pets will continue to do so.
Frankly, I don’t see any problem. If DLNR were to operate a full service clinic five days a week, Dr. Tudor’s claims of unfair competition may have some merit. If, as he says, it’s “not about the money” it must be that he is fearful of any competition. That is plain wrong! All Dr. Tudor’s blather about money is a “by-product of what I do, not the overriding goal” is a lot of bunk. If he needs the lost income from customers who get minor care from Dr. Dela Cruz’s part-time clinic to pay his suppliers as he claims, he probably should consider closing his clinic and moving elsewhere. His own statements suggest to the careful reader that his objections are all about possible loss of revenue/money at his private clinic! It really is all about money…Dr. Tudor is afraid that he may lose some!
I have to admit some bias. Dr. Dela Cruz provided animal care to me many years ago and I found him to be both competent and caring. I suspect that his decision to operate a part-time clinic is out of the knowledge that the prices charged at Dr. Tudor’s clinic are beyond the reach of many, many pet owners. (Maybe Dr. Tudor should look around the islands and see what is happening to our once prosperous economy.) If Dr. Tudor really is concerned about the health and well-being of animals in the commonwealth, Dr. Dela Cruz and his staff should be receiving congratulations from Dr. Tudor not demands that he close shop!

DAVID L. PRICE
Sadog Tasi, Saipan