Pets in Need launches Community Veterinary Clinic to address preventative care gap

When Laura Birdsall began her career in animal care at a shelter, she was moved each time a rescued animal received the care it needed and found a loving home. Eventually, as she discovered her true calling in shelter medicine and transitioned her work, that drive led her to Pets in Need.
“So when I got offered the director of Medical and Behavioral Services role here at Pets in Need, and they were interested in starting this community veterinary clinic, I was all in,” said Birdsall. “I was like, we can do this.”
Expanding its veterinary services, Pets in Need launched its new Community Veterinary Clinic on Thursday, Nov. 14. The clinic focuses on preventative services to keep pets healthy, complementing the comprehensive care offered by local full-service veterinary practices.

Pets in Need CEO Laura Toller Gardner said the clinic is geared for preventive care, providing “all the things that keep animals well day-to-day.” Some of the services offered include annual vaccines, tick medication, wellness exams, microchipping, basic health screenings and nutritional advice.
According to a research article published in the The Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health, the United States is facing an acute shortage of veterinarian staff which will escalate to more than 100,000 veterinary nurses and technicians by 2030, resulting in 75 million pets going without veterinary care. The study also mentions how a 2023 survey of California shelters reported that 50% of veterinary positions and 54% of registered veterinary technician positions were vacant, leaving 344,000 animals without adequate veterinary care.
“The vet community in the Bay Area is incredibly stretched thin,” Gardner said. “And we looked at, how can we support pets, their people, and our colleagues in the veterinary community? And we thought that the best way we could do that is to offer preventive care.”
Pets in Need has been a part of the Peninsula community since 1965. It has shelters in Redwood City and Palo Alto. Its volunteers transfer cats and dogs to their facilities from public shelters in the Bay Area and beyond when they are in danger of being euthanized due to space or financial limitations.

It also offers a low-cost vaccine clinic every Wednesday and a spay/neuter clinic every Tuesday and Thursday, both at the Palo Alto shelter.
Its new community clinic will be led by Dr. Barbara Laderman-Jones. Dr. Barbie, as she is more commonly known, is the third veterinarian worldwide to complete a three-year residency in shelter medicine. Additionally, the clinic will be supported by Hannah McCarthy.
Gardner told this publication that the clinic’s services will be offered at approximately 20 to 30% below the cost of other retail veterinary services.
Birdsall explained that the clinic’s focus on affordability and accessibility is crucial, as cost often deters people from seeking timely veterinary care for their pets.
“For a lot of folks, there’s a barrier to getting their animals seen,” she said. “They think, ‘That’s too expensive, so I’m going to skip it this year.’”
By offering services at a lower cost, the clinic aims to make preventive care more accessible and to encourage regular visits. Birdsall added that finding timely appointments at veterinary clinics on the Peninsula has become challenging, with many clinics booking weeks or even months in advance.
“I know some people who’ve had to schedule an emergency appointment just to get a vaccine,” she shared, adding that such situations are neither a good use of the clients’ resources nor of emergency clinics’ time.
Birdsall hopes that the new clinic will help alleviate this strain by supporting the broader veterinary community, particularly by focusing on preventive services, allowing other clinics to concentrate on urgent and sick care cases.

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