2:30pm | The kids in the kennels at Animal Care Services (ACS) won’t have to wait until the doctor makes the next rounds. ACS has hired a full-time vet with an intellect and passion to match a full pedigree of credentials, and she’s all ours. And the animals’, too.
Dr. Margaret Lee was hired during the summer after giving birth to her first child, a little girl named Tristan. Her first day on the job was Sept. 9; she’ll carry out veterinary procedures at the shelter five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be on call for emergencies until 10 p.m. She said that she loves ACS’s spacious facilities, play yards and ample room; the different areas for cats, exotics and any other animal that isn’t a dog; and the open-air kennels, which help to stem disease transmission.
On the days that Dr. Lee isn’t working, outside vets will fill in, thus providing seven-day-a-week coverage. John Keisler, ACS’s interim manager, says that the city expects a savings of around $20,000 per year, provided by oversight by a full-time veterinarian instead of outside contracts. The costs will be offset by about $81,000 by new and expanded revenue-generating activities such as sheltering fees, dog and cat licensing, onsite medical care, walk-in clinics, mobile vaccination clinics, microchipping and, of course, adoption fees. Keisler also anticipates privately funded grant opportunities that a full-time veterinarian will help the shelter qualify for; he estimates about $37,000 for this revenue. He estimates total savings of nearly $140,000.
“It is the goal of all of the recommended actions to add no new net costs to the general fund,” Keisler said.
The first impression that Dr. Lee gives is of an earnest teenager who is shy and soft-spoken, but after her first few sentences, you realize that she’s a mature no-nonsense physician who’s gotten her ducks in order and is ready to work. She’s also very human—and humane.
“I’ve wanted to be a vet forever,” she told us. “I grew up on James Herriot.”
Dr. Lee was born in Los Angeles. She said she didn’t have pets as a child but had always been drawn to humane societies and veterinary organizations. She logged in many volunteer hours at veterinary practices when she was in high school and continued through and after her college education at Dartmouth in New Hampshire. She received her doctorate in veterinary medicine at UC Davis, which has the largest and one of the most prestigious veterinary programs in the country, and did a rotating internship at Cornell. She also got her first pet while there: a beautiful black cat named Smokey, who was brought, severely injured, to the Tompkins County ASPCA in Ithaca, N.Y. Dr. Lee has brought him with her and the rest of the family to live in California.
Dr. Margaret Lee and her cat, Smokey
Dr. Lee’s dedication to her chosen field is manifest in her commitment to volunteering. During her college years, she worked as a veterinary assistant and volunteered at the Humane Society in New Hampshire and at the New England Aquarium during the summer. She has spent vacations abroad in remote areas of Peru, Guyana, Honduras, Samoa, the Dominican Republic and a Native American reservation in Arizona, taking part in a Humane Society spay/neuter campaign and paying all traveling expenses herself. She took special note of the differences between other cultures and ours, not so much in the people’s affection for their pets but for what’s available to them, particularly with respect to resources for altering animals.
“Every culture is different, and I don’t like to be judgmental,” Dr. Lee said. “I see forming a healthy human-animal bond through compassion and education instead of pointing a finger. A lot of the people love their animals, but they can’t provide what we can here. And all the animals deserve a chance to be spayed or neutered. This is something I’ve always been passionate about.” She added that spaying and neutering pets, besides keeping down shelter overpopulation and euthanasia rates, adds to the health and well-being of living animals. Neutering a pet gives a smaller chance of a male animal getting testicular cancer, spraying the couch, giving off that God-awful yowling and getting hit by a car while rushing to a romantic assignation. Spaying reduces the chances of breast and uterine cancer in females.
With Dr. Lee’s combination of creds and dedication, we’d both want her as our own pets’ vet, but she is committed to shelter veterinary medicine. She’s cognizant of the continual changes in diseases and stages of wellness that comprise what is known as herd health, and she wants to revise standing protocols and establish any new ones necessary.
“I’ve always had a strong interest in shelter medicine—the need is greatest with shelter animals,” she said. “There’s a shortage of good vets in shelters.” Dr. Lee cites herd health; spaying or neutering countless animals, mainly cats and dogs; treating sick and injured animals brought in; immunizing healthy pets; and the euthanizing, which is a heartbreaking, unpleasant task to be responsible for.
“It’s tough to work with the demands and the euthanizing,” Dr. Lee added.
Dr. Lee has future goals of community outreach with regard to humane treatment of animals, standard of care, preventative medicine and, of course, continuing to make spay/neuter available and educating our residents to take advantage of it.
“Education in this area is lacking,” she said. “The low-cost [facet] isn’t enough—it doesn’t reach out as well.”
Lucky for ACS animals, the doctor is in. At last.
I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs. ~James Herriot
Interfaith Blessing of the Pets Encompasses All of Nature
Haute Dogs’ tenth annual event was especially soul stirring this year. The usual critters—dogs and a couple of cats and bunnies—and the unusual—a goat, an alpaca, a couple of Japanese silkie roosters and an enormous gecko who was peacefully resting his chin on his human mom’s arm—were in line for the blessing that ever reminds us humans of how lucky we are to share our pets’ lives. What made the event special was that for the first time, the Blessing was held near the ocean at Rosie’s Dog Beach, named for the beloved bulldog who lived with the event’s planner, Justin Rudd, and his partner, Ralph Millero, until she passed away last year at 12 years old. There were also no vendors or attractions other than the animals, ministers and human companions; Rudd reminded the assemblage that the blessing was being shared with all the creatures living in or near the sea and flying in the sky above.
Ministers included clergy from St. Bartholomew Catholic Church and Bay Shore Church in Belmont Shore; Universal Life Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and the Reformed Catholic Church Community of the Resurrection in Long Beach, and the Goddess Temple of Orange County. Farm animals preceded the cats and other non-canine attendees; the dogs in their grace went last. Each was given a blessing from a minister; holy water and olive branches were used by some of the clergy.
“May the animals of the planet be a reminder to us that peaceful coexistence can be a reality,” said Father Sean Flanagan of St. Bartholomew’s in his address to the congregation.
Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am. ~Anonymous
Donate to Pet Post’s Special Cash Cow Fund-raiser for ACS
If the milk of humane kindness courses in gallons through your blood, and if the spirit mooooves you, donate to our fund-raiser for ACS. Donations are tax deductible, and all names we receive will be featured in our column. Check the archives section in this column and click on Cash Cow: The Milk of Humane Kindness for details.
Virtual Pets Adoption Updates
Max and Princess
In the last article (“Autumn Brings Pet Events, Adoption Opportunities”), we introduced you to Max and Princess. Both dogs were brought to Animal Care Services by their human companion who had just become homeless and who was sobbing her heart out. Shelter staff, particularly ACS’s outreach coordinator, Kelly Miott, have made it a project to get them adopted or fostered. Max, 6 years old, is nearly blind, and Princess, whom our friend Bird Man accurately described as the most overweight min-pin he’s ever seen, is about 8. She’s since been put on a diet, which is why she’s smiling like that. Can you help with a home or a foster? If so, e-mail [email protected].
Topaz and Michael
In the Oct. 7 Pet Post, our story “Two Faithful Friends” spoke of Michael Reed and his dog, Topaz. Michael and Topaz both have health issues, Michael’s far more severe than Topaz’s. Pet Rescuer Ingrid Hurel, Michael and Topaz’s champion, e-mailed us last week that Topaz has had surgery last Tuesday to removed the cancerous tumor in her neck. It was so extensive, that they had to remove part of her jugular vein! They also removed a small skin cancer area.
“Topaz has been spending her days at my rescue partner’s house, being spoiled rotte,n and the nights at the hospital.” Hurel said. “She still needs a home!”
Ingrid’s rescue partner drove Michael back and forth from the pet hospital. Michael’s in decline, and recently went into the emergency room, drained of energy from his illness. He’s improved and is looking to get a walker and in-home care.
If you can help with adoption or in any way, e-mail Ingrid at [email protected]. Check the e-mail carefully—the suffix is a German e-mail address.
Pet Projects FOLBA President’s Donation Page
Help me to be a voice for our animal friends. By contributing to Friends of Long Beach Animals, you are helping to fight animal cruelty, support shelter animals in finding them forever homes, and educate children and adults to respect all life. No donation is too small—even $2.00 can go toward a Kuranda bed or a toy. Click here to donate.
Oct. 8, Friends of Long Beach Animals Pet Appreciation Fair and WALK, El Dorado Regional Park
On your bark—get set—go! Let’s walk some more! This great FOLBA event takes place at El Dorado Regional Park, 7550 E. Spring St., from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Added to the fun is our educational Pet Appreciation Fair featuring pet contests for pet/owner lookalike, most photogenic, best tricks and more; Muttley Crew’s agility and Flyball teams and Disc Dogs, Aquarium of the Pacific‘s mobile learning center, kids’ activities, vendors, raffles, food, and entertainment by LB’s own Blue Steel Band. Animal Care Services will be in attendance with their mobile clinic’s vaccination and microchip service—come get your pet protected! Event is free; for those wanting to walk, online WALK registration is $25 ($30 on the day of the event.) Preregister and save at www.Active.com or www.folba.org/WALK.html. You or your team can win great prizes: a private harbor cruise, Disneyland tickets, a bowling party, a six-month membership to the Belmont Athletic Club and more just by raising donations, all of which will help provide humane education and spay/neuter programs for Long Beach and Signal Hill.
Oct. 30, Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade, Livingston Park
Belmont Shore’s pet community activist is looking to break a world record, and he wants your help—you and your dog’s, that is. The current record of costumed dogs in a parade is 337, and as dog friendly as this town is, we can surely do better! The event begins 12:30 p.m. with a pet fair at Livingston Park at Livingston Drive and Park Avenue in Belmont Shore. The parade steps off at 2:30 p.m. Early entry (received by Sunday if you mail on Friday, or sign up online) is $10; other details about the event can be found here. All proceeds fund Community Action Team donations.
Dec. 3, Holiday Bone-Anza, Good Neighbor Park
Long Beach has a huge canine population estimated at over 100,000. We have several great parks and a dog beach around town, but there aren’t enough off-leash areas to provide the running and playing room needed to keep our urban dogs healthy and happy! Friends of El Dorado Dog Park wants to help solve this problem by creating a three-to-four-acre dog park in El Dorado Regional Park, and a fun event is planned to help raise the $100,000 needed to make this happen. Along with music, a raffle, free popcorn for the kids, dog training demos and more, there will be more than 30 vendors and a few gourmet food trucks offering their wares to the holiday-shopping crowds. A humane education table will be in place to disseminate information about a major objective of the animal-welfare community. Good Neighbor Park is located at 2800 Studebaker Rd. Join us and help us create a place where dogs can be social and healthy, both physically and mentally! Click here for more details; e-mail [email protected] for questions and information.