Wellington vet clinic houses lost pets
July 15, 2009
By JoAn Bjarko
The Wellington
Owners of escaped dogs and the animal control officer will make fewer 20-mile trips to Fort Collins because of a new agreement with Wellington (Colorado) Veterinary Clinic.
The clinic will take in lost animals for up to 48 hours while efforts are made to reunite them with their families. Most captured escapees are dogs, noted clinic co-owner Dr. Wayne Jensen, but the clinic also received a homeless cat since the agreement took effect June 9.
“We want to make it more convenient for the town and town residents, so they don’t have to go all the way to the Larimer Humane Society,” Jensen said.
With the clinic located at 7837 Sixth St. in Wellington (Colorado) and the Larimer Humane Society at 6317 Kyle Ave. in far south Fort Collins, that’s a 40-mile round trip.
The agreement with the town requires the clinic to hold the animal up to 48 hours. If the animal is not claimed, code enforcement officer Steve Norden will take it to the Larimer Humane Society, which also contracts with the town to house strays.
Jensen noted it has taken from 10 minutes to a full two days to reunite pets and owners. Rules are the same as those required by the humane society. Owners must pay a $25 fee and bring proof of rabies vaccination before the animal can be released.
The clinic is closed Sundays and two Saturdays a month, but Jensen said people looking for lost pets after hours should leave a message at 568-7387. The humane society is also notified of animals being housed at the Wellington (Colorado) clinic.
In two cases — a poodle found on the interstate and a cat with neurological problems — the clinic decided to find adoptive families rather than send them on to the humane society, Jensen said. The clinic used its Ellie May Fund for homeless pets to support them. The poodle now has a new home, but the cat adoption is on hold until she weans recently born kittens.
“Three kittens will be ready for adoption in eight to nine weeks,” Jensen said.
