One of the hardest parts of a veterinarian's job is dealing with scared
or skittish animals. Oftentimes, your four-legged friend knows they are
going to the doctor and they don't like it. But Wayne veterinarian Dr.
Holly Connolly has discovered a way to virtually eliminate these fears
and the bad behavior that comes at the traditional vet's office. She
took her practice on the road.
Earlier this month, Connolly started
Are We Home Vet? a mobile
veterinary office run out of the back of a truck, offering all the same
services of a traditional veterinary office, but without the hassles of
leaving home.
"Pets are so much happier at home and we are able to catch them before
their anxiety level gets so high," says Connolly. "By the time you get
them in the car and make that 20-minute trip, they are already worked up
so those animals that were a handful at the traditional office are
completely different animals in the mobile setting."
The truck is fully equipped with an x-ray machine, a full-service lab, a
laser for laser surgery and an exam table. Connolly says that, in the
brief time she has been doing it, many of her regular clients have
already taken advantage of the service. But perhaps more successful in
attracting clients has been the truck itself. Connolly says she receives
calls on a daily basis from people who have seen her out and about on
her way to her next pet project.
"We will be driving around and you are basically driving a big
billboard," says Connolly. "We have literally gotten calls while we are
on the road. So the mobile unit has been a draw in and of itself!"
Source: Holly Connolly, Are We Home Vet?
Writer: John Steele