The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

I am writing to ask the community to help in finding a way to have a veterinarian on call on the weekends. As most of us know, if our beloved pets get sick, they are probably going to do it on the weekend. I owned two Yorkies and on different occasions, each one got very ill on a Friday night. By the time I could get them in, it was too late to save them. I also have a dear friend that just lost her cat; it choked to death over the weekend with no help to be had.

I work in Grand Coulee at a store, and, especially in the summer months, we have tourists that are traveling for the weekend; their pets get sick and they come to us to tell them where the vet’s office is. Of course, we have to break their hearts by saying they are closed. Also, sometimes someone comes in and they have found a stray; there is no where to take it as the vet’s office does not accept lost pets. I would love to also see an animal shelter of some kind be here. I myself found a stray a couple of years ago; we don't know what to do when we cannot keep or adopt them.

When I lived in Wenatchee many years ago, I had a beloved little dog that died because all the vets in town were gone to a conference. I worked with the head of the humane society there for a long time to make sure at least one vet was in town and on call; that is how it is there now. I realize we only have two vets here in the area, very nice ladies, but is there somehow that they could switch off to be on call on the weekends? We would not want their personal phone numbers; in Wenatchee they have an answering service and an emergency number to call, then they contact the vet on call.

I had to have my cat I had for eight years put down last November. I now have another cat that I adopted and love very much. I am hoping if she ever gets ill that I have a way to get help for her. I know there are many pet lovers here that may have an opinion and input on this.

Kathy Neal

Electric City