Bow-Wows & Meows: What Really Goes on Inside the PetFix Mobile Van?

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We love our pets! It’s fascinating to stand back and watch owners with their beloved 4-legged family members and it doesn’t take long to realize what an important member of the family they are. Many of us cannot imagine a world without them. Yet the cost of pet ownership can be overwhelming – a bit too overwhelming for many. This is when organizations such as PetFix of Northeast Ohio step up to the plate and take a swing at cost cutting options in order to make pet ownership less of a burden. PetFix Northeast Ohio is a 501.c.3 non-profit organization dedicated to ending pet overpopulation in the region by promoting the importance of spay/neuter and making spay/neuter surgeries affordable and accessible to:

pet owners
feral cat caregivers
shelters, rescues, and animal control agencies placing animals for adoption

They operate in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Portage and Summit counties by traveling to designated locations with their mobile van and performing spay neuter services for low income families who qualify. It’s a fantastic idea that has taken off and is lessening the financial burden on families while at the same time reducing the overpopulation problem that exists everywhere. I recently had the opportunity to enter the PetFix van during a day at the Portage County Dog Warden’s in Ravenna. No one in the van knew I was coming. I was there to meet Karen from Rose’s Rescue who volunteers by taking dogs and cats from the warden’s to the van then back to recovery. I had no expectations of doing anything but helping with their duties, but she asked the vet on duty if I might be able to come in and watch their process. So up the steps I climbed! I was instantly impressed with the cleanliness. Definitely had that clean veterinary hospital scent. Registered Vet Tech Chris Schnitzer and Vet Assistant and Driver Susan Mickovic were assisting Dr. Kathy Topham. What a delightful trio! They were very cheerful and their love for the animals was apparent. Efficiency would be the word of the day. They have their system down, and it runs like a well-oiled car – or van! Susan selected the animals to be taken in. The volunteers, both Karen and Deanna, helped transport them to the van where cages had been cleaned and prepared to receive them. Anesthesia was administered with a fresh needle each time, any fur trimming completed. Each dog and cat was handled with gentleness and proper lifting and support from table to table to cage. They made sure the animals was fully anesthetized before operating and then checked regularly to make sure they were coming to in good time without any trouble. Lots of words of encouragement were floating around as each pet was coming to.

Dr. Kathy is fast! In about five minutes, neuters are completed! I hardly noticed any blood, everything is carried out with top notch equipment and proper attention. It was a truly impressive operation in every aspect.

Dr. Kathy has office hours at the Digging Dogs Training Center weekly by appointment only. She specializes in treating post-surgical patients, post-injury patients, aging pets, and canine athletes through a more holistic approach including chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage to name a few. She is one of many vets who work one or more days a week on the mobile unit along with techs and assistants. These professionals are dedicated to the PetFix mission to provide affordable spay/neuter services to those who desire to be responsible pet owners but struggle with financial restrictions. They now have a permanent PetFix location in Euclid which opened a couple months ago. According to their Facebook post of 10/3/13, “It has been a whirlwind couple of months for PetFix! Our stationary clinic has performed nearly 650 surgeries in just a little over two months since opening and is now open four days a week! Our mobile clinic has performed nearly 3,500 surgeries in a little over eight months this year! We thank everyone for your continued support…”

Dr. Gabrielle DeVere (center) holds Sammy, PetFix Northeast Ohio’s 20,000th surgery patient. RVT Chris Schnitzer and Vet Assistant and Driver Susan Mickovic (right) assisted.