West Side Pet Clinic, a new
provider of veterinary services, is trying its best to make things personal.
Over the next couple of weeks,
staff members will go door-to-door and give brochures out to the community’s
pet owners. The clinic will also hold an open house for community leaders.
The clinic at 1245 Niagara St.
opened April 1 and has been seeing two to three patients per day. It expects a
slow ramp-up over the next few weeks, said veterinarian Dr. Susan R. Sickels.
“Right now it’s just been more
information dispensing than anything else,” she said.
West Side Pet Clinic shares a
building with Pawprints, a dog groomer and daycare, and provides preventative
care, physical examinations and treatment for simple health problems. Most
services range from $10 to $39, with an all-inclusive puppy or kitten visit for
$99.
The clinic keeps costs down by
utilizing gently used equipment, including kennels and tables. It does not have
radiology or surgery on the premises.
There are three vets and an office
manager on staff at the clinic. Sickels’ partner, Dr. Reed Stevens, also owns
Ellicott Small Animal Hospital downtown, so owners and their pets will be
referred to that hospital for emergencies.
Sickels and Stevens chose the West
Side as a means of putting their faith into action.
“We knew this was a place in need,”
Sickels said. “If we are the first to vaccinate your pet, that’s great.”
Eventually, the clinic may expand
to include small laceration repairs, oxygen and anesthesia machines, but for
now it is focused on settling into the neighborhood. By Angelica Rodriguez and Brandon Waz
