In Pictures: On a house call with Alberta mobile vet company
Vets To Go believes home visits are best for all concerned and is planning to expand its operations
A greyhound watches veterinarian Dr. Wendy McClelland (R) makes an animal house call for Sarah Palmer in Calgary Alberta, July 3, 2014. Vets To Go Inc. believes house calls are the best way to delivery veterinary care.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Veterinarian Dr. Wendy McClelland gets a shot ready while making an animal house call for Sarah Palmer in Calgary Alberta, July 3, 2014. The mobile veterinary company provides a full range of non-emergency veterinary services at competitive prices in Alberta, mainly for cats and dogs, including vaccinations, nose-to-tail checkups, blood and allergy testing and in-home euthanasia, in the Calgary, Medicine Hat and Edmonton areas.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Vets To Go was founded in 2009 by veterinarian Wendy McClelland, who wanted a practice that she could balance with her young family and provide a less stressful experience for the animals being treated.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Veterinarian Dr. Wendy McClelland checks a greyhound's heart while making an animal house call for Sarah Palmer in Calgary Alberta, July 3, 2014.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
The company’s technology handles scheduling, invoices and billing from a centralized system, making it easy for the company to consider franchising.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Veterinarian Dr. Wendy McClelland makes an animal house call for Sarah Palmer in Calgary Alberta, July 3, 2014.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
The company is fielding multiple requests from people who want to get involved, although one challenge is that veterinary medicine is a very regulated licensed industry.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Veterinarian Dr. Wendy McClelland (L) makes an animal house call for Sarah Palmer in Calgary Alberta, July 3, 2014.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
According to the company’s president, Greg Habstritt , a commitment to “quality of life” guides all their decisions for everyone involved – from the pets and their owners to their own team of 14 employees, who enjoy flexibility in how they can work.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
“Veterinarians come out of school with technical ability, but zero business training, then are expected to start a business and somehow know how to do it,” Mr. Habstritt says.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail