Vet clinic aims to be affordable and help control the pet population

People who work for Monroe Veterinary Associates saw that Rochester was in need of a local clinic that offered affordable help to community pet owners. So they started one.

The Rochester Community Animal Clinic opened in July 2013 at 985 Bay St. in Rochester to help animal owners who live nearby receive cheaper spay and neuter procedures and other minor services such as vaccinations.

Surgeons spay, neuter and vaccinate up to 90 dogs and cats a week that live in the community nearby. Not only household pets receive this care; the clinic also treats feral and homeless animals.

“The beauty of this clinic is we’re attacking that problem (of pet overpopulation) from a different point of view,” said Cyndy Dewey, the clinic coordinator. “We are not just trying to re-home homeless animals. We’re trying to stop the increasing numbers by spaying and neutering and offering reduced prices.”

According to Petfinder.com, the average cost of a spay or neuter is $200. At the clinic, the maximum price to spay a female cat is $140 and to neuter a male is $90. The maximum for the same procedure for a dog is $225.

The clinic offers vouchers to people with lower incomes who are receiving government aid, and also to college students, military service members, and veterans which makes the prices even lower. "How much of a discount pet owners get depends on their circumstances, clinic officials said.

More animals can receive help at a lower cost because the clinic schedules multiple surgeries a day, the staff is small - just 11 people - and customers must pick up their animals rather than have them boarded during recovery.

Veterinarian Dr. Nancy Filiaci and the staff do the surgeries non-stop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., take a 30-minute break, then resume until around 3 and 4 p.m.

Cats in their carriers at the clinic for a procedure. Most of the clinic’s work involves spaying and neutering pets to cut down on overpopulation.

“A lot of these animals that are coming in for our spay and neuter program or the voucher program, it’s probably the only time they are ever going to be at a vet, ever,” said Filiaci. “So they are getting the chance to be checked.”

Sydney Kraus-Malett, a veterinary technician, doesn’t believe the small staff hinders the performance of the clinic. “All the technicians and doctors have pretty much been here since the start, so we are a pretty strong group,” said Kraus-Malett.

Kraus-Malett has worked at the clinic for five years and she assists the surgeon during surgery. Some of her duties include cleaning up after surgery, completing check-ups, administering vaccinations, and helping animals through the entire anesthesia process.

The clinic also collaborates with over 60 different rescue organizations.

“No matter how many rescue organizations there are out there, how many shelters, there are always more animals that can be helped,” said Dewey, who has been associated with Monroe Veterinary Associates for about eight years and has worked at the clinic since it opened in 2013. She realizes that her job isn’t work because it is her “passion.”

Kraus-Malett similarly appreciates her job because she loves working with animals and she realizes that community members trust the work of the clinic’s professionals. “I’m grateful that the community has continued to come to us and trust us for their care,” she said.

This story by Olivia Wild is part of a journalism collaboration between WXXI and St. John Fisher College, giving aspiring student journalists the opportunity to report on and create stories for WXXI listeners, viewers, and readers.