LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is putting out the call for a new veterinarian and hoping to bring on a temporary vet to keep the agency's clinic going.
Animal Care and Control opened its onsite veterinary clinic at the shelter – located at 4949 Helbush outside of Lakeport – in March 2012, an effort aided by community donations.
Initially, Dr. Anthony Wong served as the clinic's vet, with Dr. Jennifer Bennett coming on as the clinic's contract vet in the summer of 2013, according to Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson.
However, Bennett resigned effective April 30, and has already left to take a job in Seattle, said Davidson.
While the rest of April runs out, Davidson said Bennett has hired relief vets to keep the clinic going.
So far, Davidson has had a frustrating search for Bennett's successor, even though the contract position can pay as much as $100,000 annually.
“I have been trying for the last seven weeks to find a veterinarian who will come to work here full-time,” said Davidson. “It’s been very hard to find anyone who’s interested. There are a lot of people who are qualified. The problem is in attracting them to Lake County.”
He's had only a few inquiries for the contract, which he said seems to be a matter of Lake County's rural and remote location.
“One of the predominant issues is how isolated we are – a quiet and rural lifestyle suits me but not everyone,” he said.
“The second thing is if you’re a contract worker you don’t have medical, dental or retirement. We don’t provide that. Not having benefits is something that kind of turns people off,” he added.
As of Thursday morning, however, there was the possibility of at least a temporary reprieve from having to shut down the clinic while a recruitment takes place.
Davidson said Animal Care and Control was contacted Thursday morning by Dr. Richard Bachman, the director of the Contra Costa County animal shelter's veterinary medical program and a consultant to Lake County Animal Care and Control on the clinic feasibility study that preceded its opening. He also worked at the clinic in its early days.
Bachman has tentatively agreed to accept the veterinary contract, Davidson said.
“He's a temporary fix until we can find a more permanent solution,” said Davidson.
The matter must go before the Board of Supervisors for final approval. Davidson said he's asking to have it included on the board's May 5 agenda.
The clinic was opened three years ago with a view toward dropping the costs of adoptions and therefore increasing the numbers of pets going to new homes – thus reducing euthanasia and addressing the county's cat overpopulation problem.
It's an effort that has worked, according to Davidson.
“This is one program that has been outstanding in helping the community,” he said.
The clinic has been at the heart of the shelter’s population control program for cats, which has helped cut the county's high cat euthanasia rate in half over the last several years.
He said cats that come into the community cat program are spayed, neutered and vaccinated, so they can’t contribute to overpopulation.
“We’re spaying and neutering every stray cat we can get our hands on, and it’s making a difference,” said Davidson.
In the 2013-14 fiscal year, 1,200 cats were altered in the program, with Davidson estimating the number will be less for this current year due to Bennett having been out on medical leave.
“This is the first year we’ve seen the effect and it’s working, it really is working,” he said, adding that one of his officers reported that he's seeing a difference in the numbers of cats out in the communities.
The community cat program, which has been open to everyone wanting to spay or neuter community cats, had been closed due to Bennett's departure, Davidson said.
However, with Bachman offering to come on board, “We will open it up again,” Davidson said of the program.
For those interested in applying for the veterinary contract at the shelter clinic, contact Davidson at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews. Email John Lindblom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Animal Care and Control in search of new veterinarian; temporary vet willing to help
- ELIZABETH LARSON AND JOHN LINDBLOM
- Posted On