A Day in the Life of a PETFIX Clinic
It all starts at registration
The first step at a clinic is joining our volunteers, usually overseen by PETFIX co-founder Beate Neher, at registration. We’ll check your animals in, generate their surgical forms, and start them on their spay and neuter ‘journey.’
Note that donation box….every donation helps!
Kennel parking zone
Depending on the number of veterinarians we have at any given clinic, we can intake up to 250 cats or 100 dogs. Dogs and cats are done on separate days, to ensure a more calm and safe environment.
But with 100 dogs in the ‘parking lot,’ a dog clinic is L-O-U-D!
Pre-op stage 1
Next it’s over to pre-op, where our animals are quickly evaluated for their overall health, receive anesthesia, have their weight checked (cats), are scanned for a microchip and await their turn with one of our wonderful vets.
Surgery time
We won’t show you surgery taking place, but here’s a great shot of Dr. Kang and his assistant for the day….on a RARE moment when he’s not busy operating!
Post-op
Managed by PETFIX co-founder Bridget Neher, post-op is where the ‘spa treatment’ component of the day takes place: microchips are inserted, vaccines are provided, nails are clipped (dogs), ears are tipped (cats), and ears get cleaned. And yes, Bridget is still smiling at the end of a busy day!
Recovery
Just like humans, our furry friends need some extra TLC after surgery…and our recovery volunteers are there to watch and guide the animals through this time. Temperatures are monitored, animals are regularly assessed and as they wake up, it’s time to head back to their kennels for more monitoring. No one goes home until this group of caring volunteers says it’s safe to do so!
Recovery might be the best place in the clinic
It’s certainly where the cuteness is captured! Whether it’s a load of color-sorted puppies, or kittens being cuddled as they wake up, the volunteers all agree that the hard work is worth it.
After care matters
They’re almost done! Only after one of our aftercare volunteers have explained how best to look after your animal in the day(s) to come – and the information varies if it’s a cat or a dog, a pet or a community cat – then it’s time to head home.
Hugs are free!
What’s the best part of a clinic for our volunteers, and maybe for our animals too? Plenty of time for hugs and cuddles!
Kisses are free, too!
How can you not kiss a cuddly puppy?
Laps are always available
Really, when there are puppies, you have to use your lap to monitor them….they’re that cute!
Even more attention
As we said before, dog clinics are loud, but sometimes if a volunteer takes a moment to sit and talk to a dog, it makes all the difference.
Visiting Vets and Vet Techs
High volume spay and neuter is a special skill in the veterinary field, and we are fortunate to work with vets from HI and the mainland. We partner with some organizations (Mars, Banfield) to offer larger clinics servicing more animals.
