One vet’s $160,000 neighbourhood war with the owners of Bella the kelpie

No one likes an unexpectedly large vet bill, but for one dog owner, the potential cost has skyrocketed after a string of negative online reviews ended up in court.

Mornington Peninsula vet Hany Tawfik, also known as Dr Harry, is taking defamation action against a customer after issuing a legal demand for $160,824 for loss of income over critical posts on Facebook, Google, Yelp and other websites.

Bella, the dog at the centre of the dispute.

According to documents filed in the County Court, the reviews were posted by Donna Fergus and her husband Brian, who were both listed as the holders of a Facebook account under the name “Donna Brian Port Fergus”.

The couple, who live on the same street as Tawfik in Frankston South, owned a 13-year-old kelpie named Bella – now dead – at the time of the posts between November last year and January this year.

The Fergus’ Facebook account is alleged to have posted several times on local noticeboard pages urging people not to take their pet to Tawfik’s Towerhill Vet Clinic and his mobile business Vet On The Move, on several occasions calling him a “shark”.

“Dr Harry was so charming and caring at our home appointments until he got my elderly dog to his surgery and charged me $4000 for procedures he didn’t do,” one post read, according to court documents.

The case will be heard in the County Court.Credit: Darrian Taylor

“Unfortunately I was vulnerable at the time worrying about my beloved dog and at the same time sensed that things were not right until I had proof.”

The account regularly responded to other Facebook commenters who were looking for advice on which vet to use in the area, the court documents show.

In response to one person asking if they had used Vets On The Move, they allegedly wrote: “Bella has suffered because of him and I had so much faith in him and he is my neighbor [sic] that’s what really makes me so upset.”

In his writ, Tawfik claims the posts portrayed him as a thief and as someone who mistreats customers and causes harm to dogs. He is also taking action against online reviews posted on Google and other search engines.

Tawfik said there was serious harm caused by the posts. He had also taken out an intervention order against Donna Fergus over an incident in which she confronted him at his house and abused him, saying he was “not even a vet’s asshole”.

His lawyers sent a legal demand to the Ferguses in September, offering to settle the case if they transferred $160,824.17 to his bank account within a month.

Tawfik’s lawyers declined to comment on the legal action. Donna Fergus said she was unable to comment for legal reasons. The Ferguses are yet to file a defence.

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