Vets Face Monumental Task, Provide Invaluable Service

The staff of Planned Pethood Plus came a long way for a good cause. With less than half of their usual team of veterinarians and techs on hand, they performed an enormous number of spay/neuter surgeries during the recent clinic offered at the Valley Event Center. The clinic was held over two days, July 15 and 16, and was coordinated and ran wholly by volunteers.

The number of procedures performed this year was down from last year due to the small number of staff who were able to make the trip. As a matter of fact, a number of appointments had to be rescheduled, and a number of animals had to be turned away.

Despite the restrictions caused by the small number of staff, the crew that came from Denver to offer their services performed 159 total procedures, most of them free or for a small donation.

In addition to the surgeries provided, rabies and distemper shots were offered at a minimal cost of $5 each.

The event center is fairly cavernous when it isn’t fulfilling its purpose as a hockey rink. Only a portion of the facility was used for the clinic, but the space was adequate and seemed to be efficiently laid out.

A small area was sectioned off and designated as the surgery area. Within the enclosure, three small (pet-sized) tables were lined up parallel to each other, set up in preparation for the furry patients, and a bright light hung directly above them.

Soon after 8 a.m. on Friday, pets, owners and volunteers began filtering in. Volunteers assisted the pet owners with registration of their animals and provided instructions.

Throughout the day, owners waited patiently for their pets to be taken in for surgery, and waited again once they were finished and recovering.

Occasionally, one of the techs would give a waiting animal an injection in preparation for their appointment. Usually, the injection was taken in stride. Other times, a distinct yelp could be heard in protest.

Following their procedures, the animals were taken to designated recovery areas and monitored by volunteers. During recovery, the volunteers were there mostly to provide comfort to the patients, as well as ensuring they were kept warm. Others were able to assist the animals with standing and walking.

After two long days of performing procedures and administering shots, the Planned Pethood Plus staff packed things up on Saturday and departed for Denver. To make a donation, you can visit their website online at plannedpethoodplus.com.