January 2013, NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS –NATICK ANIMAL CLINIC at 121 WEST
CENTRAL STREET, NATICK announces the immediate offering of laser therapy for pets in the metrowest Boston area.
The addition of this technology is another step towards adding technological benefits once available only in human medicine. Lasers have been used in human medicine for over 30 years and are now entering the veterinary industry where many of the same types of medical conditions that humans experience also affect our pets.
The Animal Industry often looks to its human counterpart to lead the way to more progressive and innovative treatments and alternative therapies. The laser and other alternative therapies are integrated as complementary rehabilitative approaches to traditional medical and surgical procedures.
More and more clients are demanding the highest level of care for their pets as the research on human and animal bonds underscore the familial-like relationships that these bonds create. “Laser provides us with the opportunity
to offer a range of services that will benefit our clients’ pets, particularly those that have inflammatory conditions, limited mobility or joint pain,” states Andrea Moolenbeek, Natick’s Chief of Staff. “The versatility of the laser will allow us to treat a range of conditions often expected to be chronic and debilitating” says Moolenbeek.
The laser has a patented technology delivery system that synchronizes energy frequencies to produce results without drugs, side effects or risks.
Laser therapy is a therapeutic treatment that uses light energy (photons) for tissue healing and pain reduction. Until now, there have been only pulsed light lasers that control swelling and continuous light lasers that control pain, but not both. The MLS Laser Therapy at Natick Animal Clinic synchronizes the dual action of both continuous and pulsed light therapy.
For additional information about laser therapy, contact Dr. Bill Schmidt at Natick Animal Clinic who is leading the new program at the clinic, (508) 653-5020.
Wignall Animal Hospital Receives Customer Service Awards
DRACUT, MA SEPTEMBER 7, 2012 The Talk of the Town Customer Service Award was bestowed upon Wignall Animal Hospital for excellent customer service in the Greater Dracut community. The Talk of the Town News rating system is based on countless hours of research and almost 1 million online user reviews. Our researchers spend thousands of hours monitoring all online ratings and feedback to calculate a fair and unbiased score. Ratings are calculated based on consumer-review websites and blogs, social networks, business rating services and other award information to determine the top companies across the country. Only those high ranking businesses with a 4-5 star rating win the Talk of the Town News Customer Satisfaction Award.
PHOENIX THE LOST AND FOUND CAT
DRACUT, MA JANUARY 27, 2012 Wignall Animal Hospital
When Shannon and Ryan Bernier’s cat, Phoenix, went missing suddenly in April 2011 from their home in Dracut, they wondered if and how they would ever find him. Little did they know that over the following 9 months, Phoenix, a 4 year old black Domestic Shorthair, would travel a long and presumably wild journey before he would ever make it back home to his mom and dad. We will never know exactly how many miles he logged on his trip or how many kind souls fed him or how many wild animals may have frightened him during his “adventure”. What we do know is that a local pet rescue worker, Mary-Ann, saved him and Phoenix’s Home Again® Microchip reunited him with his family!
In November 2011, Mary-Ann, a Pets In Need Rescue volunteer, noticed Phoenix frequenting her backyard in Lowell. Her new visitor did not have any pet identification that she could see. After a few days in her yard, she believed he was a stray and began her campaign to rescue him! Although he was very timid and would not come near her, she persisted trying to make friends with him. She started putting food outdoors for him in her yard and little by little, she was able to get closer and closer to him. It was slow going, after all he had been on the road for months at that point and Mary-Ann had no way of knowing what he had been through before finding safety in her yard. Mary-Ann continued to build her relationship until she was able to get Phoenix to enter her home and be fed! As time went by, Mary-Ann thought Phoenix-whom she had nick named “Sparkles”- might be a good candidate for help from Pets In Need Rescue, Dracut, where she volunteers. The rescue agreed and Mary-Ann scheduled the little guy for surgery to be neutered at Wignall Animal Hospital, Dracut where medical care for Pets In Need Rescue is provided
When the Wignall Staff examined him on January 27, 2012, they discovered that he had a Home Again Microchip! Good news became Great news when the staff researched the microchip number and realized that this “stray” was a Wignall patient whose owners reported him lost many months ago. Wignall contacted Shannon and Ryan to report the good news, Phoenix (aka “Sparkles”) was treated for a minor medical issue and reunited with mom and dad the next day!
PELHAM BROWNIES SCAVENGER HUNT AT WIGNALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
The scene was set for Wignall Staff to host Pelham, NH Girl Scout Troop 10213 on Monday, January 2, 2012. They arrived beaming with enthusiasm, scavenger hunt list in hand, accompanied by Troop Leader, Shannon Sprague, ready for the challenge to complete the list of animal-related items they had to find during their visit. While on many Wignall days, there is not only fur, hair and whiskers abounding– but also feathers, claws, scales, shells and quills—the scouts would have to take our word for those latter scavenger hunt items on this particular Monday! Dogs and cats stole their attention on this visit; but we hoped that they did notice our beloved “Meow Cow” statue who graces our front lawn because she does have hooves and this item was on their list.
Led by Veterinary Technician, Kristina, Troop 10213 made its way through the hospital. They visited all the patient treatment areas to get up close and personal with our staff and patients. After completing their hunt and our Wignall Basic Pet Care Class under Kristina’s mentoring, each left saying she wanted to be a vet. Now that is a good day!
Backyard Hero Contest
NOVARTIS BACKYARD HERO GRILL PROMOTION WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Dracut, MA November 15, 2011 Novartis Animal Health,Inc., a global pharmaceutical manufacturer of veterinary products, announced this week that some local pet owners are lucky winners of a Char-Broil® Magnum 500 Stainless Steel Grill. Novartis Animal Health U.S., Inc. sponsored the grill promotion to draw attention to the year round problem caused by ticks infecting dogs and cats with the deadly heart worm, resulting in heartworm disease. The disease is fatal in cats because there is currently no treatment; and although treatable in dogs, there is currently a nationwide shortage of the treatment drug of choice, placing dogs in serious jeopardy of dying from heartworm disease. To protect your pet, prevention is key. This is why we recommend year round coverage such as Interceptor® , the Novartis product for the prevention of heartworm disease and intestinal parasites. Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic both recommend and sell Interceptor for their patients. The hospitals are thrilled that there is one lucky grill winner from each hospital!
The winners are backyard grilling heroes to their family and friends, but are also backyard heroes to their pets because they invested in their pets’ year round health by protecting them against the dreaded heartworm disease by purchasing Interceptor. For more information about Interceptor, heartworm disease and/or intestinal parasite, visit Novartis Animal Health.
MVMA AND WIGNALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL TO THE RESCUE
An Abandoned Injured Pup Gets A Second Chance To Live
When Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association took steps in early 2008 to create Massachusetts Medical Association Charities, Inc., it forged into new territory in conjunction with Massachusetts veterinarians and animal control departments throughout the state. The new 501 (c)3 organization serves as an extension of the MVMA’s commitment to volunteerism and working towards a common good in our communities. Wignall Animal Hospital (Dracut, MA ) recently had just that kind of opportunity when its staff collaborated with Lowell Animal Control Officer, Bill Potter, to provide extensive surgical and medical services to a severely injured stray dog. The strong relationship between Lowell Animal Control and Wignall is evidenced on a daily basis: the hospital houses over 400 stray, lost and abandoned dogs and cats each year as part of its dedication to animal control programs in Lowell, Dracut and Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Although it is not unusual for hospital staff and animal control officers to handle injured or sick stray pets and wildlife, the case of “Scooter” tugged at the heartstrings of Officer Potter and he wanted to help.
For this special patient, this was truly a second chance to live. Officer Potter had registered the Lowell Animal Control Department with MVMA Charities earlier in 2011 and knew Lowell Animal Control could tap into the MVMA organization’s generous allocation to the city’s animal control department . Although the MVMA Charities program only reimburses veterinarians for 80% of their fees, Wignall Animal Hospital eagerly accepted the opportunity to treat its new patient with the understanding that the remaining 20% of its fees would be considered the hospital’s donation to the patient’s care.
“Scooter”, a 4 year old, apricot colored, intact male Cockapoo was found and transported by a Good Samaritan mid-July 2011 to Wignall Animal Hospital. He was diagnosed during an emergency after hours examination by Wignall DVM, Alison Detelich, and found to have a comminuted fracture of the left femur. The hope was that it could be repaired to save the leg and avoid an amputation. Radiography to solidify the diagnosis and pre-surgical blood work to confirm the patient was a good surgical candidate were administered. Orthopedic surgeon, David Abdinoor, DVM and Dr. Detelich performed the surgical repair including stabilizing with cerclage wires, retrograded pins and a Kirschner-Ehmer apparatus to complete the procedure. At the same time, they also completed a canine castration. Post-surgical radiography 2 weeks later confirmed all internal devices were stable and “Scooter” was recovering well, therefore he was transported to the MSPCA for adoption to a new family. A great outcome for all concerned.
Wignall Heroines and Angels Strike Again…
Dracut, MA. Saturday, June 18, 2011
What could have been a regular old day at Wignall Animal Hospital– and at any wedding scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2011– turned out to be nothing but that ! A Camp Wignall boarder, Guinness, a 2 year old Old English Bulldog, was sad to miss his dad’s wedding that day, but Guinness had no idea what was in store for him other than being a little home sick. Thanks to quick action by Wignall Staff, Guiness’s life was saved Saturday! When Wignall Animal Hospital Brusher-Bather, Holly, took Guinness from his camp kennel run to be groomed Saturday, she attentively noticed that he didn’t seem well and immediately brought him to be evaluated by our Senior Veterinary Technician, Erin. Assisted by Veterinary Technicians, Sarah and Michelle, they immediately went into action under the supervision of Dr. Pikulik, with emergency first aid. Dr. Pikulik examined him and saw signs of severe respiratory distress. Guinness’s breed is prone to respiratory issues and initial assessment was that the stress of being away from home may have triggered Guinness’s respiratory episode. After administering oxygen, intravenous fluids and medication– and a lot of TLC– it was decided that Guinness needed 24 hour emergency care and was referred to a 24 hour emergency hospital. His dad was contacted-with only 2 hours and counting until his “I do’s”-and he agreed for Guinness to go to the 24 hour facility. Receptionist, Ann, used the phone to its maximum potential, persevering to get a referral completed for Guinness, making multiple phone calls and persisting until she was able to arrange the emergency referral. While Guinness’s dad was at the alter, Michelle and Sarah transported Guinness to the 24 hour hospital, calming him, driving carefully-but expeditiously-and safely delivered him there. We hear from Guinness’s dad that he is doing just fine (dad AND patient!) , is home–and, yes, his dad DID get married as planned! Very nice work all and special Kudos to Ann, Erin, Dr. Pikulik and Holly; and Extra Special Kudos to Michelle and Sarah for providing emergency transport-all are Guinness’s Wignall Angels.
Special Thank You to Nancy Gibbs
The Doctors truly bond with their clients at Weston Veterinary Clinic. Recently one of Dr. Neil Storey’s clients, Nancy Gibbs, passed away. As a thank you for taking exceptional care of her dog, “Nell”, Ms. Gibbs named the Weston Veterinary Clinic as a beneficiary in her Will.
Thanks to Nancy’s generous gift, the clinic was able to purchase some new monitoring equipment as well as start a fund for subsidized care for clients that may not be able to afford care for their pets.
“Nell” is still a patient at Weston Veterinary Clinic and we hope to continue to see her for many years to come.
Wignall Animal Hospital Donates Oxygen Masks For Rescued Pets
Wignall Animal Hospital proudly donated 8 animal oxygen masks to the Dracut Fire Department recently. The masks received local press approximately 2 years ago when Main Street Animal Hospital, Salem, New Hampshire, donated masks to the Salem Fire Department as their Santa Sunday project that year. At the time, the masks were not highly used locally, however Wignall Animal Hospital Practice Manager, Patricia Mancini, recently learned from Deputy Chief Mike Ralls, (also a Wignall client and seen at the hospital for fire inspections and hospital staff emergency training), that Dracut Fire Department was a regular user of the masks. When hospital owner, David McGrath, DVM, learned that Dracut’s fire fighters would welcome more masks, the hospital jumped in and offered to purchase more for the department. The hospital donated 2 large dog masks, 2 medium dog masks, 2 large cat masks (also useable for small dogs) and 2 medium cat masks. The hope was that pets rescued from fires in the Wignall Community would never go without this valuable fire rescue aid.
Anti Bull-E Gear
WellesleyWeston Online
Cheryl Fenton writer
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Much like a class in school, the act of bullying runs its course. The initial taunts and teases might serve as an introduction, just a taste of what could potentially come throughout the school year. Then there’s the long, involved daily grind of lessons. Didn’t know you were a nerd, did you? Didn’t think you were fat, did you? Well, the bully is there to teach you these things. There might even be a little “homework” via Facebook or MySpace. At the end of the course is the final exam-one single incident that pushes the student into a make-or-break situation. Will they pass or give up?
In some cases, this “final test” of bullying pushes the victim to fail. A sad reality of today’s bullying is that it’s an aggressive phenomenon that goes beyond shoving others down the hall and passing notes about someone in class replete with funny drawings.
Recent studies have shown that over 30 percent of kids are bullied at one time or another. The past few years, things seem to have become worse, with several students in the news turning to suicide or extreme violence as a result of horrendous behavior towards them by fellow classmates.
Aware of the possibly fatal intensity in bullying, Andrea Harding, a long-time Wellesley resident and mother of two, decided to make an anti-bullying campaign a top priority, so she became a co-creator of anti bull-e gear, a clothing line with an anti-bullying message. “I got tired of children committing suicide at the hands of other children. There’s something totally unbalanced in the world about that,” says Harding. Together with her husband, NewsCenter 5 co-anchor Ed Harding, her sister Ilene Terrell, and Terrell’s partner Sheri Backerain, Harding created a line of clothing that spreads the anti-bullying message through clever slogans and a loveable Bull Terrier logo. “When Phoebe Prince took her own life, I decided it was time to help children find a voice. Most states have anti-bullying laws. If that doesn’t speak volumes to us as parents, I don’t know what does.” Massachusetts has several laws that address bullying, hazing, and even cyber-bullying.
“The outrage existed even before my wife and I started this process,” says Ed Harding. “The Phoebe Prince story just broke your heart. Every time I reported that story, I remember vividly just wanting to cry. Today, there are no lines. We live in a 24/7, 365 world. There are no stop signs. At least when I was little, [bullying] ended when you physically left the building. You were quiet for the evening. Today, you can be at home, talking online to anyone, anywhere in the world.”
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With memories of the strong hand of bullying reaching into her own home years ago and victimizing her son Adam, now 24, Harding was frustrated with the lack of support for kids and parents.
“When I went online to understand it, everything I read was either combating it with more aggression or it was so dry,” she remembers. “These kids are raised in a world of sound bites. I didn’t feel there was anything out there that was in ‘kid speak’.”
The Terrell/Backerain household in Fredericksburg, Virginia had also seen its share of bullying, with both of their young sons going through some form of it as early as kindergarten. The women were happy to add anti bull-e gear into already packed schedules (Terrell is a podiatrist; Backerain is a veterinarian). They threw themselves whole-heartedly into assisting the Hardings in this new grassroots effort.
“The goal of our company is to create something that people will be willing to wear, especially the kids, that would fit their lifestyle and would constantly be a reminder,” says Terrell. “Children are born with a clean slate. [Bullying isn't] a genetic behavior. These are learned and imitated behaviors, so I’m convinced that some of what we see is from home and some is peer-related. We have to attack it on both fronts-parents and kids.”
“Since we started, we’ve become way more involved in the message,” she continues, excited about the future of this collaboration. “It’s almost like it’s grown and snowballed.”
Homer Brings it Home
“People don’t like to talk about bullying, so I wanted to find some way to put all this genesis into a character that would allow the conversation to open up,” says Harding.
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Nothing drives a point home quicker than irony-something that Harding realized in the initial stages of anti bull-e gear.
The idea was right in front her eyes; or rather, lying across her feet. As a Bull Terrier rescuer for over 20 years, Harding found inspiration right in her own home, where she had been involved with a “bully” named Homer for some time.
“The irony is that those among us who own Bull Terriers call them ‘bullies.’ So I thought: That’s it! It’s living with me.” With that realization came the face of Homer, Ed and Andrea’s eight-year-old Bull Terrier. “Most Bull Terriers are between 55 to 60 pounds, and he’s almost 80. He’s a brute with a vicious bark, yet he has the gentlest heart and just wants to be loved.” Quite the opposite of what you would expect of a “bully.”
Coming to the Hardings’ home from a rescue center at the age of two, Homer had never been inside a house with a family. “He needed to learn social skills, so he really did embody all the elements of the issue,” she explains. They took an image of Homer’s handsome face to a graphic artist, and the anti bull-e gear logo was born.
Wearing the Message
“When you look at fashion, it captures the essence and dynamics of our culture. We’re using our fashion to make the statement that our culture needs to change. We need to return to civility,” says Harding. “I wanted to create an idea to keep bullying in the limelight until we, as a community, successfully put an end to it.”
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Much as we hope bullying has a grim future, it seems anti bull-e has a great one in the works. Lounge pants, hoodies, shorts, and sweatshirts are being added to the collection, as well as new messages targeting different groups. There are two T-shirt designs currently in the line; a crosswords puzzle using words like “acceptance” and “tolerance” as solutions to “fat” and “tramp,” and the hallmark T-shirt of “Put Bull-e-ing Behind Us” with Homer’s face. A cyber-bullying shirt with the tagline “Date Machine Not Hate Machine” for a computer isn’t far behind, as well as shirts in Spanish and one with a rainbow design.
“Our mission is to help children and parents find a way to communicate in unison that bullying is not acceptable,” says Harding. ”By wearing anti bull-e gear, you’re adding your voice to the message on a daily basis.”
Helping the Community
According to Harding, there are two key elements to making bullying a thing of the past. The first is that parents and teachers must be actively involved. Second is educating everyone in the importance of respecting and tolerating each other. It’s to this end that anti bull-e gear is giving back five percent of all proceeds to Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, the world’s foremost program fighting this issue.
According to Dan Olweus, the program’s creator, known as a pioneer in bullying research, a person is bullied “when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.” Olweus goes into schools to train teachers, talk to kids, and teach both sets of people the language of bullying.
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“It’s wonderful how they reach out to everyone in the school community and talk about what is and what isn’t bullying,” says Backerain, who was originally impressed by Olweus’ research-backed success. “They make the community aware and involved. They teach kids to stop and see the consequences of what they do-whether it’s what comes out of their mouths or driving a car and texting.”
The Future of anti bull-e
“It’s a very slow and steady build. But people like the designs and they love what we’re doing,” says Harding. Anti bull-e was the only apparel line exhibiting at the 7th Annual International Bullying Prevention Association conference this past November in Seattle. “People are encouraging us to keep going.”
Regardless of what others say, sometimes it’s best to just go with your own heart , and Harding, Terrell, and Backerain are doing just that.
“I don’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore,” admits Backerain. “I love my boys with all my heart and soul. I want to make a difference in the world they’re going to live in when they’re young men.”
“When the media hype turns its attention to some new issue and the bullying unfortunately fades into the background, that makes what we’re trying to accomplish so much more important,” says Harding. “This message will always stay front and center with us.”
WIGNALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL DONATES OXYGEN MASKS FOR RESCUED PETS
DECEMBER 29, 2010, DRACUT, MA……..Wignall Animal Hospital proudly donated 8 animal oxygen masks to the Dracut Fire Department today. The masks received local press approximately 2 years ago when Main Street Animal Hospital, Salem, New Hampshire, donated masks to the Salem Fire Department as their Santa Sunday project that year. At the time, the masks were not highly used locally, however when Wignall Animal Hospital learned from Deputy Chief Mike Ralls (also a client of Wignall and seen at the hospital for fire inspections and hospital staff emergency training) that Dracut Fire Department were regular users of the masks, and would welcome more, the hospital jumped in and offered to purchase more for the department. The hospital donated 2 large dog masks, 2 medium dog masks, 2 large cat masks (also useable for small dogs) and 2 medium cat masks.
Project Helping Hands
Once again, Wignall Animal Hospital is a food drive drop off location for the 17th Annual Dracut House of Pizza Project Helping Hands Thanksgiving Food Drive for needy local families. Wignall Animal Hospital invites employees, clients and Dracut/Lowell residents to contribute non-perishable food items which will enable hundreds of local families to enjoy good, healthy meals. In 2009, the food drive fed 1,230 families for the Thanksgiving holiday. The goal this year is to feed 1,500 families! Food donations may be dropped off inside the hospital during normal business hours: M/W/F 8am-8pm; T/Th: 7am-6pm; Sat. 8am-4pm and Sun. 9am-3pm.
Please lend your helping hands to make this holiday season joyous for us all.
ABANDONED KITTENS FIND NEW HOPE AT WIGNALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
DRACUT, MA 9/2/10
Seven infant kittens, 3 males and 4 females, some striped, some fluffy grey and some black, were found at an abandoned home in Lowell, MA on Thursday, September 2nd. When the home was under a bank-ordered clean out Thursday, the Lowell Animal Control Department was contacted to rescue the seven kittens. Approximately 2-3 weeks old, the tiny kittens clung to dear life as Lowell Animal Control Officer, Rob Picard, rescued them and carefully transported them to Wignall Animal Hospital. Dr. Kate Thomas examined and evaluated each kitten, assessing medical condition and any necessary medical treatment. While in overall good physical condition, all the kittens had fleas, appeared to have intestinal parasites and slight upper respiratory infections, all of which are easily treatable. Thanks to Pets In Need Rescue, Dracut and Wignall Animal Hospital, who will provide medical care to the kittens, they will be nursed back to health and then placed into new “forever homes”.
STICKY SITUATION FOR LOWELL SQUIRRELS
DRACUT, MA 9/2/10
Five juvenile squirrels found in Lowell, MA Thursday, September 2nd, were curiously entangled with each other at the tails and covered with tree sap which adhered them to each other in an unusual pile. They appeared to have struggled vehemently to get free of each other, because their tails were knotted together in actual knots and the tails were further attached to each other by the sticky glue of tree sap that must have been in their nest. Their age is estimated at approximately two months, an age at which they would still be living in their “home” nest, however no adult squirrels were found at the rescue location when Lowell Animal Control Officer, Rob Picard, rescued them today.
Unable to untangle the squirrels at the scene, Officer Picard transported them to Wignall Animal Hospital for evaluation. Veterinary Technician Supervisor, Bonnie Begin, who has a special interest in wildlife, immediately jumped into action to free the squirrels. Officer Picard, Ms. Begin and other veterinary staff-with over 30 years of experience between them– had never seen this happen to squirrels before. Barely identifiable as individual animals, the squirrel tails were literally knotted and tied to each other like ropes and covered with the sap which cemented the tail hair and underlying tissue together. The squirrels seemed to be exhausted by their apparent ordeal and allowed the Wignall Team to work on them without any resistance. The knots were so tightly wound that Ms. Begin and other veterinary team members had to work diligently for over 30 minutes to ease the tails free with some gentle shaving, massage, soap, water and alcohol to break the sticky seal of the tree sap.
Once freed, the squirrels were placed in warm clean bedding to begin recuperating and remained huddled together for the next few hours. Amidst all the detanglement activity, Wignall Patient Coordinator, Candas Kane, quickly began making phone calls to local wildlife rehabilitators to find a more suitable environment for the squirrels to be rehabilitated from their injuries. Although minor injuries, a wildlife sanctuary environment would be best to enable the young squirrels to make the proper developmental transition into adult life. The squirrels safely left Wignall today en route to their new temporary rehab. home until they can be released into the wild.
Dracut-Lowell Area Veterinary Hospitals Rally
to Help Local Shelter Pets in Need
Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic joins national movement to donate lifesaving medicine to benefit area dogs and cats in need
DRACUT, MA AUGUST 1, 2010 - Pet shelters in MA are seeing an increase in the thousands of cats and dogs entering shelters each year due to the economic recession. In response, Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic have partnered with more than 2,000 veterinary clinics nationwide to provide heartworm and intestinal parasite medication to shelter and rescue dogs and cats.
The program, dubbed Give Interceptor® Give Back, provides Interceptor® (milbemycin oxime) Flavor Tabs® to participating veterinary hospitals which, in turn, make the donation to any local pet shelter or rescue group of the hospital’s choosing. Nationwide, the program will ultimately deliver 167,900 doses to dogs and cats in need.
Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic chose to support Northeast Animal Shelter, Salem, MA because of its commitment to help local animals. “We know the importance of heartworm and parasite prevention,” said Dr. David McGrath, at Wignall Animal Hospital. “Because of our involvement, today, more animals are healthy and more are ready for adoption.”
Through the program, Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic have pledged enough medicine for Northeast Animal Shelter to keep 279 dogs and cats protected from the most common and dangerous internal parasites.
Interceptor Flavor Tabs prevents heartworm disease, which can be deadly to dogs and cats, but also controls roundworms, hookworms and whipworms in dogs and roundworms and hookworms in cats. Through the end of 2010, every qualifying purchase automatically generates a donation, making it easy for pet owners to treat their own pet while helping pets in need in the surrounding community.
Note:
Dogs and cats should be tested for heartworm prior to use. In a small percentage of treated dogs, digestive and neurologic side effects may occur. In cats, safety studies up to 10 times the label dose did not detect any adverse drug reactions. For full production information, go to http://www.interceptorpet.com/ or call 1-800-332-2761.
Local Pet Therapy Dog Makes It Big in “O Magazine”
Wignall Animal Hospital patient, Jake DeLong, is featured in the February issue of “O: The Oprah Magazine”. Jake (pictured here with his mom, Kathy) is a pet therapy dog who visits local human patients and elderly residents spreading his canine cheer! “There’s our dog now!” is how Jake is greeted by his senior citizen patients when he visits, as they proudly share in his ownership even if just for those few minutes on regular visits. A well behaved 5 year old Golden Retriever, Jake is able to respond to word-free commands using just hand signals which enables him to visit environments where giving oral commands might be problematic, including with some very sick patients. For more information about the pet therapy program Jake participates in, visit the New England Pet Partners website at http://www.newenglandpetpartners.org/ and you can see Jake in the CoverGirl® spread beginning on page 35, in the February 2010 issue of O: The Oprah Magazine
Weston Veterinary Clinic Annual Charity Motorcycle Ride a Big Success!
On Sunday, August 9, 2009, the Weston Veterinary Clinic sponsored its 2nd annual motorcycle ride to raise money for the Neponset Valley Humane Society. Approximately 20 motorcycles and two “hot rods” driven by veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and friends left the Weston Clinic for a 1 1/2 hour country road trip. The riders were greeted on their return to the Clinic by 50 human and assorted canine supporters, all of whom enjoyed a catered barbecue and raffle. Wagging tails were plentiful!
The event raised nearly $3,000, all of which was donated to the Neponset Valley Humane Society of Norwood, MA.
This all-volunteer organization works tirelessly to find homes for dogs and cats, to establish a medical fund for animals in need, and to expand their trap, neuter and release program for feral cats.
Organizers of the event included Holly O’Halloran, Shauna LeBlanc, Practice Manager Andrea Harding, and Dr. Joel Woolfson. Dr. David McGrath, owner of the Weston Veterinary Clinic, was the major sponsor of the event.
This year’s Road Captains included Bruce Leung, CVT, of VESCONE, Mike Robinson, DVM, from the Medway Animal Hospital, Wendy Emerson, DVM, from the Putnam Veterinary Clinic in Topsfield, Joel Woolfson, DVM, DACVS, and Allen Sisson, DVM, DACVIM, from The Angell Animal Medical Center. The motorcycles were escorted by Drs. David Knapp, Suzy Starr and Allen Sisson in their 4-wheel hot rods.
Once again, the staff of the Weston Veterinary Clinic “went the distance” to help animals in need.
(MVMA Magazine)
Debarking: The Unkindest Cut
Dog Lovers Divided On Debarking Bill. Join The Conversation: Conversation Nation
BOSTON (WBZ) – What do you think about dog debarking?
Should be veterinarians be allowed to debark dogs?
It was up for debate Tuesday on Beacon Hill.
A bill has been filed to ban devocalization of dogs in Massachusetts unless it’s a medical necessity.
Debarking is a procedure which snips or removes a dog’s vocal chords to make the bark softer.
Read: Dog Debarking Concerns
There are animal lovers on both sides of the debate.
Those against debarking say it’s cruel and can lead to complications for the dog.
Those who support it claim it can sometimes save a dog’s life.
Debarking can lead to serious medical problems for the dogs.
Some have trouble swallowing and the potential growth of scar tissue after the surgery can cause respiratory distress.
Those who support debarking say there are cases in which dogs are beaten or killed by neighbors or strangers because of their bark. They claim the procedure is a last resort to keep the pets safe.
The Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association says it deplores devocalizing for convenience.
But it does not support a ban on the procedure altogether because they say it should be available to prevent a pet from losing its life or home.
What do you think?
Join the conversation in our Conversation Nation blog.
More information on the bill and devocalization:
- Debarking A Sensitive Issue
- Commentary: Bill Against Barking Is Misguided
- Looking To Ban Devocalization
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
