Responding to the Island's dwindling number of veterinarians, All Pets Medical Center visited the Vineyard earlier in July and gave care to about 20 cats and dogs.
A new service is stepping in to try and ease the burden on Island pet owners and the dwindling number of Vineyard veterinarians.
All Pets Medical Center, a veterinary practice in Bourne, plans to visit Martha’s Vineyard once a month to provide pet care to Island residents at the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard. The center made its first visit to the Island in July, aiding about 20 cats and dogs.
The addition is welcome news for pet owners on the Vineyard. There are only a handful of veterinarians left on the Island, and one retired earlier this year, stretching the remaining services.
The Cape practice will provide serves at the Island animal shelter.
The Cape practice will provide serves at the Island animal shelter.
Lisa Dawley, the animal shelter manager, said the July 12 trial run with All Pets Medical Center’s new care went off “beautifully.”
“People were in tears to have another option,” she said.
All Pets Medical Center now plans to come to the Island monthly. Pet owners should contact the center in Bourne to set up an appointment. Once a pet owner gets in the system, they can become regular clients and also access services at the Cape Cod facility.
Many pet owners have turned to mainland practices in recent years and in the wake of My Pet’s Vet closing earlier this year. Vista Vets, a recently opened Falmouth clinic, said in February that about a quarter of its clients were from the Vineyard. All Pets Medical Center has about 40 Vineyard patients and it decided to reach out to the shelter to see if it could help with the Island’s shortage.
“We knew that there was a need and we’ve had some residents of the Island give us a call because they couldn’t get vet care,” said Jenna Goonan, the practice’s manager. “We just want to really be able to help the pets on the island.”
Ms. Goonan said the center plans to provide care for almost everything but surgeries while on the Island. Ear infections, hot spots, urinary tract infections and similar ailments can all be handled here.
“We’re bringing everything we have here except surgical equipment,” she said.
Despite the new service, urgent care on the Island remains a concern and many emergency cases will still send owners to the mainland.
For years, Island veterinarians have banded together to run on-call after hours urgent care. But with veterinarian Kirsten Sauter’s retirement this year, there’s one less veterinarian in the on-call pool, taxing the other veterinarians, who are also inching closer to retirement.
The whittling down of primary care has led to more urgent issues, said C. Rogers Williams, with the Vineyard Veterinary Clinic.
Four of the remaining Vineyard practices are working to provide as close to round-the-clock emergency coverage as possible. They’ve started using a telehealth service to try and limit the number of after-hours calls that absolutely can’t wait, but any inpatient care has to go to an off-Island hospital.
“[T]he veterinarians here who are trying to help with urgent care have already been doing so 24/7 for 20, 30, 40 years,” Island veterinarian Dr. Michelle Jasny told the Gazette earlier in July. “We hope pet owners will appreciate that many of us are seniors ourselves now and we can only do what we can do. Needing to travel to the mainland for certain kinds of state-of-the-art medical care, be it human or veterinary, is a fact of Island life.”
Comments
Its a shame since everyone
just a thought mvyIts a shame since everyone here has a pet. Perhaps reach out to one of the large national vet ownership companies to open an animal hospital here. With their financial resources it would be possible for them create a practice (or purchase an existing one and expand it) and use their roster of vets nationwide to 'rotate' here. If they waive their 'non-compete' agreements perhaps one of those vets would choose to stay.
....and what veterinarians
Debbie OB....and what veterinarians and vet techs can afford to move here? Having too few year round rentals and too many million dollar homes is impacting everyone. I know my son, a veterinarian in Maine, considered opening a practice here but the costs were insanely silly for an office and a few parking spots, let alone finding a home for his family. The same is true for dentists -- even they find the costs prohibitive to open new practices here (My daughter is a DDS). As our island caregivers age and retire no one can afford to move here and replace them. It's sad.
If there is a will there is a
just a thought mvIf there is a will there is a way. Lots of landscapers waitresses and construction workers have found a place to live while enjoying the stratospheric wages. Based on what I pay for a vet bill they can certainly afford to live here if they choose to. Everywhere is expensive to live unless your in the middle of the country in a small town.
My heartfelt gratitude and
Susan Desmarais Oak BluffsMy heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our island veterinarians and all who work with them.
The depth of my gratitude
Nancy Rose Steinbock, M.A., CCC-SLP EdgartownThe depth of my gratitude cannot be expressed to our extraordinary veterinary care team led by Dr. Williams and Dr. Dunnigan. For years, they have cared for and helped us through the graceful euthanization of several of our dogs. The expertise they display is inestimable. Their front desk and clinical team are without peer. This article gives me hope that others will come to support our wonderful vet residents so that we can feel they can remain working in the years to come. . .as we all age!
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