Veterinarian makes house calls for AILING PETS
USA - Dr. Eric Mueller runs a special business: a mobile veterinary clinic.
In the past, mobile vets have been available only for endof-life-services. Some owners prefer (and can afford) to have their vets pass away in the comfort of their own home.
Veterinarians like Mueller are expanding beyond that, offering services that pet owners get from conventional clinics. The mobile aspect is appealing to someone with a busy schedule, parents who are juggling children and pets, or a person that just wants to relax at home after a busy work day.
But it’s the home-bound pet owner or animal that benefits most from this service. Malcom, a 12-year-old Husky mix, is a regular patient of Dr. Mueller’s. Mueller checks on the dog’s arthritis and anxiety every month. His owner, John Aycock, is relieved to have a doctor come to their home. Malcom’s condition makes it an ordeal to travel, both for Aycock and his dog.
For Mueller, being a vet and helping animals was something he knew he wanted to do when he was a child. And while he attended years of school to get his veterinary diploma, it was growing up on a farm in Kentucky that provided the best training. “I would run out in the creeks and ponds catching critters, always trying to figure out what the animals were thinking and doing,” explains Mueller. “I figured out at an early age that they can’t help themselves as much as we can help them.”
His practice, Noah’s Bark, also allows him to help people in need. Many of his patients have owners who are immobile and unable to leave their house.
“I’ve had people, when we come to their house, cry just because they thought they would not be able to have veterinary care for their animals,” recalls Mueller.
And this vet is happy to help other vets – veterans that is. Many of his clients, like Aycock, are former military. For those special members of civil services and the armed forces, Mueller offers a considerable discount. Access to the services that he provides is key for people who have sacrificed the most.
(usatoday)