The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society’s Fixin’ to Save Spay and Neuter Clinic, located in the White Marsh Shopping Center, has reopened after completing a three-week long renovation process. It has implemented new policies and procedures with its reopening.
The clinic has moved to doing curbside service with its clients in response to the pandemic but has decided to make that policy permanent even after the public health crisis is over.
Clients are asked to complete and print paperwork before arriving. They are instructed to drop off their pets between 7:30 and 9:30 on the morning of the scheduled appointment. If they do not have access to a computer and printer, the clinic has clipboards, pens and paper copies of the paperwork to be completed onsite. Items are sanitized afterwards.
Once surgery is finished, the client is contacted, discharge instructions are reviewed, payment is accepted and a pick-up time is assigned via phone. When the client arrives to pick up the pet, a clinic team member meets the client at his or her vehicle to return the pet.
According to clinic director Candy Six, the new curbside service not only allows for social distancing but also gives each client a one-on-one experience. This helps promote trust between the client and the clinic. It also helps mitigate any stress experienced by the pets if they were to encounter other pets during the check-in/check-out process.
On average, the clinic sees 25-30 pets per day and is actively accepting appointments.
The wait time for appointments depends on the size of the animal. Typically, for cats and small and medium dogs, the wait time is about two weeks. For dogs that are over 75 pounds, the wait time is usually longer due to kennel space.
However, the clinic is currently experiencing a marked increase in appointment requests because one of its competitors has ceased scheduling appointments. As a result, the clinic’s services are in greater demand than before and there is a backlog of surgical appointments.
“We are committed to helping clients secure appointments as soon as possible, and actively call clients with appointments should someone cancel,” said Martinez. “We encourage anyone in need of the clinic’s services to schedule an appointment, and we will continue to put forth our best effort to ensure clients’ pets are altered as soon as possible.”
The clinic has increased its hours of service to accommodate the working public. The clinic is now open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment call 804-694-0349 during normal office hours.
Renovations
Many renovations were made to the interior of the clinic to promote the well-being of the pets in its care. One way the clinic has achieved this was by adding a second door to the reception area to keep congestion and pet-stress down. The renovations have also doubled the clinic’s surgical capacity. The open space also gives team members an excellent line of sight.
The clinic also needed additional space to be able to perform dental procedures for the homeless pets at GMHS. A wet table was installed and the plumbing was reconfigured to make this possible. Eagle Construction United, Inc., donated cabinets to the clinic and installed them in the dental service area.
According to GMHS executive director April Martinez, dental care is important for the health of animals. Providing dental care for the homeless pets at GMHS eliminates a barrier to adoption.
The renovation was made possible by Eagle Construction United, Inc., The J. Edwin Treakle Foundation and the GMHS 2019 oyster roast guests who donated to fully fund the clinic renovation.