At South Coastal Animal Health in Weymouth, veterinarians and technicians continue to tend to their four-legged patients through the COVID-19 pandemic, with safeguards in place to keep staff and pet owners safe.
To minimize risk, South Coastal Animal Health founder and veterinarian Grace Strake said her office stopped allowing pet owners into the building even before Gov. Charlie Baker closed nonessential businesses and put more social distancing measures in place on March 24.
When owners arrive with their pets for an appointment, a technician goes out and retrieves the pet and brings it in for an exam, X-rays or blood work. A staff member then calls the owner, who is waiting in the parking lot, and they discuss care options if necessary. Once the work is finished, the technician returns the pet to the owner's vehicle. Payments are handled over the phone as much as possible.
Strake said pet owners have been relieved to know their animals can still get care. Some owners have gone as far as sending cards and meals to the office.
"We provide a truly essential service. I can't even tell you how many emergency surgeries we've done. We've had a lot of really sick animals," Strake said. "People need their pets, and they need their pets taken care of. To get through this difficult time, they need their pets to be well."
While VCA South Shore Animal Hospital remains open for 24-hour care, Strake said it can only handle so many cases.
She said about 70 percent of the animals her staff is seeing are sick or injured, and the rest are receiving routine care that shouldn't wait if possible. For example, puppies have to receive vaccinations on a specific schedule, or the series has to restart. Out-of-date rabies vaccinations can create legal issues.
Strake said many pet owners have called to ask for a year's worth of their pets' medication, just in case they are stuck at home in the future.
"We are dispensing a lot of medication, and they just call ahead and we bring it out to them," she said.
As of this week, Strake said she split her staff into two teams of four doctors, eight veterinary technicians, three receptionists and someone in the kennel. Each team works 12-hour shifts, which ensures there is no overlap, and everything gets disinfected at the end of the day.
"If someone gets sick, it will only shut one team down, so we can manage," Strake said, adding that it allows her to keep her 32 staff members on the payroll.
While some owners are a little nervous at first about sending their pets in alone, Strake said the system has worked well so far.
"Dogs come out wagging their tails," she said. "It's worked well, and we're getting better and quicker at it."
———
©2020 The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.
Visit The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass. at www.patriotledger.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
