HERMITAGE, Tenn., June 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hermitage veterinarians at Lebanon Road Animal Hospital recently participated in the rescue of a mother dog and a group of newborn puppies. Dr. Kay Baker says the lactating mother dog was found wandering the streets and simply left in the animal hospital parking lot, but that her puppies were nowhere to be found. An abandoned litter of five 4-day-old puppies was found and connected with the lost mother, and a rescue organization found a foster home willing to take them. Dr. Ben Baker, co-owner of the hospital, says this entire experience stresses the need for pet owners to schedule spay and neuter surgeries for their pets.
Dr. Ben Baker says that this experience was distressing for everyone involved. "This beautiful dog got pregnant, had puppies, and was just left to roam the streets. We have no idea what happened to her puppies. These other puppies were not hers, but she took them on because they were abandoned too. It breaks our hearts because our Hermitage pet care hospital simply doesn't have the resources to be a rescue operation. We gladly help local rescue groups, but our mission is to provide great veterinary care, particularly spay and neuter surgeries to help prevent tragedies like this from happening in the first place."
According to Dr. Kay Baker, having pets spayed or neutered is an essential aspect of preventative veterinary care, just like cat and dog vaccinations. It not only prevents heart-breaking stray dog and cat stories like this, but it has many other benefits as well. She says that spaying and neutering surgeries can prevent dogs and cats from contracting deadly cancers of the reproductive organs. Females can avoid suffering uterine and breast cancers, while males can avoid prostate and testicular cancers. She says that spaying and neutering surgeries also help with pet behavioral problems, especially in male pets.
Dr. Kay Baker says it is also helpful for people to understand that there are many great local cat and dog rescue organizations in the area actively working to find hope and homes for lost and abandoned pets. She urges people to contact their local Humane Society or rescue organization instead of dropping them off at the veterinary clinic. She says that as veterinarians, they do not have the resources to board and find homes for all of the lost pets in the area.
Dr. Ben Baker reiterates how critical spaying and neutering surgeries are for local pets: "We found a happy ending for this mother and these puppies. But there are still 3 to 4 million stray pets put down annually, and that's a preventable tragedy. Please have your pets spayed and neutered!"
Lebanon Road Animal Hospital has provided preventative care, spaying and neutering surgeries and sick care for pets for over two decades. Their website is http://www.lrahvet.com.
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