PONDERAY — Last month marked a big milestone for Bonner County's furry residents and their residents.
On March 11, Dr. Michelle Ward realized her lifelong dream of opening an urgent care center for pets in her native Bonner County.
This goal has been on her mind since graduating from veterinary school in 2008. Pet emergency centers weren't common at the time, she said, and Sandpoint wasn't a big enough community to create demand for her vision.
During that time, she worked with animals in a variety of capacities, including operating a mobile clinic from the Newport/Priest River area. Through that business, she was able to serve areas such as Clark Fork and Hope, she said.
I then worked in emergency medicine at an ER/specialty clinic in Olympia for several years before returning to the Inland Northwest to work at an emergency/ER in Spokane.
“I love this type of veterinary medicine that combines difficult cases and problem solving,” she said. “In short, I think I found my niche in emergency medicine/ER.”
Since then, the community has grown rapidly, but access to veterinary care continues to decline, Ward said.
“Since COVID-19, there has been a global shortage of veterinarians and veterinary care,” she says. “Animal ownership has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an epidemic of inadequate veterinary care around the world.”
Pet emergency care is also becoming more common, she said, helping combat some of the burnout many veterinarians experience.
“Emergency care has now functioned as an additional layer of veterinary medicine, as in the human world, where general practitioners are no longer expected to do everything and be available 24/7.”
In April 2023, the vision began to move toward reality after Ward purchased the building where his future business would begin.
She currently provides emergency physical examinations, anesthesia, critical care room, hospitalization, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and ultrasound, and surgical services to area pets at Family Pet Urgent Care in Pondray. Health exams, grooming, vaccines, spaying, neutering, dental, and other preventive care are not provided.
The clinic, located at 100 Tibbetts Drive, will be open Friday through Monday from noon to 10 p.m.
“I’m especially excited about solving problems for pets and their families and ultimately providing them with a better quality of life,” she said. “In short, through Family Her Pet Urgent Care, I am not only able to extend lifelong dreams, but also extend the precious time that pets and their owners enjoy.”
Information: familypeturgentcare.com
