Clinton Township Newsletter

1 6 j u n e 2 0 2 5 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M This month, Clinton Three Q visited a place which is always available to our furry friends in their moment of need, Crown Veterinary Specialists and Associates, at 23 Blossom Hill Road in Lebanon, and spoke with Dr. Wendy Ross, head surgeon. C3Q: Hello Dr. Ross! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, an emergency surgeon is always busy! We understand that Crown Vet just celebrated an anniversary. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ! W h a t d o e s Crown Vet do, for those who are unfamiliar? WR: Crown Vet is a 24 hour emergency multi-specialty practice. It first opened back in 2002 as a mobile surgical practice, and has grown into what it is today, operating for 15 years as a hospital. We're there for our patients when there's an emergency; we have specialists in cardiology, internal medicine, neurology, dermatology... over 110 people on staff. Crown Vet is the only veterinary hospital in Hunterdon County which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has specialty. We'll take any animal that needs help; farm animals and exotics are not our core, but we have helped with wildlife. We mostly care for cats and dogs, and have a full service surgical center, with orthopedics, blood products if a patient needs transfusions or plasma, a CT scanner and MRI, an in-house rehabilitation center, and an acupuncturist and herbalist, which you might not expect. We see a lot of patients in a week; everybody's pretty busy. You never know what you're going to see in an emergency; it's quiet, and then four or five things hit the door at the same time. You have to like the adrenaline rush of working in an emergency. C3Q: I know that when my elderly dog, Smithy, was at the end of his life, and it was the darkest day for my husband and I. Crown Vet really came through and was immediately available to us and so helpful and respectful, it made such a difference, and we'll always be so grateful for that. Why do you and your co-workers choose to work in veterinary medicine, especially when it can often be so challenging or sad? WR: I think it's empathy and compassion. Animals can't always tell you what is going on with them, and often their problems are not their fault. We have empathy and compassion for them because we want to help them recover, and find homes, and live their lives – because they deserve to. I think most people who go into vet medicine always wanted to work with animals. You have to be intuitive about animals, and it's very important that a person be able to relate to them and provide what they need without them saying. We have a lot of very warm hearts in that place. We really care. We do the best that we can. People come in very stressed and lash out sometimes, but there's no one at Crown Vet who doesn't care. We understand that people are very stressed when they come here and that anyone that walks through our door has a sick animal and is having a hard time. And our work is very rewarding! In over 15 years, Crown Vet has done amazing work with animals. One that stands out in my memory is a dog, Hercules, who came in twelve years ago through Animal Alliance as a rescue. Hercules was a tiny, burned puppy, and he stayed with us for months as we treated his wounds, even with temporary skin graft donations from a company, and he grew up to be a beautiful boy with a wonderful home. Another time, a dog named Earl was brought in, paralyzed, on the verge of euthanization, and one of the hospital techs adopted him, and he lived out his life and had a great life, even though he didn't get full mobility back. We also just celebrated the life of our staff cat, Jax, who lived to be 17 years old. C3Q: That's amazing! What advice do you have for pet owners that you wish people knew more about? WR: My advice is to get pet insurance! Do your research, find a good one, so that when it's an issue, the finances aren't what influence your decisions. There are resources out there for pet owners but you have to be realistic. As a pet ages, they are more likely to have diseases, and you should think about managing some extra funds to take care of that pet. We try to give people as many options as possible, and make things as least costly as possible, but pet insurance is a good investment. Also, all an animal wants is your love and what time and attention you can give them. People should be more like animals, and love each other besides their shortcomings. Animals love you, no matter what; they still love you through your flaws, despite your flaws, and do not judge you based on superficial things like color or religion, they treat you the way you treat them. It's a good lesson for people: don't be judgemental, and just love. Thank you so much, Dr. Ross, and thank you Crown Vet for being there for our furry family members! n Local residents Rachel Sprague and her husband Russell are raising their two young children in Annandale. She thinks that Clinton Township is a delightful place to live. Welcome to with Rachel Sprague * C linton ree Questions * Dr Ross with Earl Jax and Sparrow

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