It used to be that stray animals in need of intensive medical care arriving at the City of Edmonton Animal Care and Control Centre, would either be sent to an outside vet for very expensive care or would be humanely euthanized.
But now, a new surgical suite has given staff a much more positive option to help animals badly hurt in a dog/cat fight, suffering broken bones from being hit by a car or in distress from something like a potentially fatal uterine infection.
For years, supervisor Karen Melnyk advocated for an in-house surgical suite. So when City Council requested further reduction in the number of animals humanely euthanized, she quickly put together a proposal for an inexpensive renovation.
In 2013, the new surgical suite opened, fully equipped with special surgical lights, an anesthesia machine and an examination room with recovery kennels.
“It’s really great to know that there are 200 people or families out there who have a pet today because of what we’ve been able to do for the animals that come into our care,” said Melnyk.
“The investment is paying off for both the City and pet-owning citizens,” says Melnyk.
“We save a great deal of money by not having to go outside for the vast majority of our surgical care. We can also recover our costs from pet owners who claim their pets, so at the same time as we’re helping their pet, the owners benefit from our lower operational costs.”
The suite has other types of payoffs, she adds. “When a cat with a broken leg allows you to touch her and purrs because she knows you’re going to help, it’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
Staff at the Animal Care and Control Centre are kept busy providing care and enrichment for all kinds of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, and other types of pets that manage to escape their owners’ care.
Peak busy times at the Centre are in the summer, when more animals are outside. The Centre also sees a surge in animals brought in after windy days when gates are blown open and fences are knocked down, as well as after thunderstorms or fireworks that scare them and cause them to bolt.
“We pick them up and hold them here while we try to locate their owners,” said Melynk. “We examine them medically and treat a wide variety of conditions.
“When they’re here, we treat them like they’re our own pets.”
