When Alex and her partner Tyler adopt a pet, it’s for life and they are committed to ensuring that their adopted pet’s life is as long, happy, and healthy as possible. So, when they adopted a 6-month-old barn kitten last year, they entrusted the first important step in his well-being to the SPCA Veterinary Hospital.
The family gave the kitten a name as cute as he is – Dwight Pickle Schrute. Alex explained “I’m a huge fan of The Office TV show and just knew when we brought our kitten home that it would be the purr-fect name, since just like his TV counterpart, he has a quirky hilarious personality. His middle name – Pickle – comes from a character in our kids’ favorite TV show. It quickly became his nickname and what we call him most.”
The family made the wise decision to neuter Pickle. Alex stated “I believe that all pets should be spayed/neutered because there are THOUSANDS of homeless animals across the country and too many get surrendered or put down because there aren’t enough loving families for all of them. If I can avoid adding to the problem, I will do everything I can do to that.”
The family chose the SPCA Veterinary Hospital to perform Pickle’s surgery. “My positive memories of the local SPCA go back to when I was a child,” related Alex. “As well, my best friend had her pet neutered at the NS SPCA Hospital and spoke highly of the experience. We knew we could trust the doctors there and we were confident that Pickle would receive the highest level of care.”
Back in the day, the Dartmouth SPCA clinic used to provide services to help low-income families. But now, with the SPCA Veterinary Hospital, their trusted team is excited to welcome EVERYONE for annual check-ups, spays, neuters, dentals, and more. And the best part? They are a proud social enterprise. So, when you book your pet’s appointment with the SPCA Veterinary Hospital, you keep more loving families together. Alex stated “I truly believe that no animal should go without vet care because of finances. Using the SPCA Hospital helped to ease our financial burden – Gunner’s ongoing care is very expensive – and also meant that we could bring a new furry family member home a lot sooner than expected.”
The family was impressed with how well organized the Hospital is and the lines of communication they had before, during, and after Pickle’s surgery. Tyler recalled “It was so easy to make an appointment online. It was done in a few minutes and we heard back in a timely manner. Our visit was a breeze – comfortable and stress-free. Everyone was SO nice and instantly put our minds at ease. They got to know Pickle as an individual – he wasn’t just ‘a number’– and they gave him lots of love post-surgery which made recovery all the easier!”
Just as The Office wouldn’t be a hit TV show with Dwight Schrute, Pickle’s family wouldn’t feel complete without him. Alex shared “We adopted Pickle because our beloved dog Gunner is going through (and has gone through) many health issues, and our kids have never known life without a pet. We wanted Pickle to not only be a companion for our kids but also for Gunner, and to ease the loss when it is Gunner’s time to pass on. Pickle has brought us so much love, companionship, and playfulness with our kids while allowing Gunner to have a more relaxed life.”
And the couple’s final thoughts? “We have no doubt that the SPCA Veterinary Hospital means that they can save and improve the lives of more animals than ever. We also believe It means that they can help keep more pets and their loving families together.”
So, trust your pet’s care to the leader in animal welfare in Atlantic Canada. Not only will your fur-baby feel healthy and happy… you’ll feel good too knowing you are helping other animals and their families. Contact the SPCA Veterinary Hospital at vet@spcans.ca or 902-706-4155 to ask about services, prices, and appointments. They can’t wait to meet you and your pet!
Here are a few reasons why it’s so important to visit a vet regularly.
- Since pets—especially cats—are excellent at hiding signs of illness, a thorough physical exam with routine screening tests is crucial to detect illness in its early stages. Early detection and treatment can extend your pet’s life, giving you many more years of quality time together.
- Vaccinations protect your pet against fatal diseases and help keep other animals in your house safe.
- Preventative treatments like dental cleanings can help your pet avoid pain, tooth loss, gum disease and even organ damage.
And don’t forget other important reasons to visit the vet:
- Spaying/neutering your pet helps prevent unwanted litters. Spaying also eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer in your pet, while neutering reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
- Microchipping your pet (permanent ID) can mean the difference between hope and heartbreak, between a lost pet coming home or not.