A lifeline for pets: Animal Ambulance provides critical care

By: GERRIANNE JONES - For the North County Times | Wednesday, July 19, 2006 10:03 AM PDT ∞

Dinky, a 13-year-old Jack Russell terrier, might not have lived another day without a new service available in the San Diego area.

"Dinky was suffering from congestive heart failure," said Animal Ambulance's San Diego regional driver Damean Mitchell. "He was having a lot of trouble breathing, so we transported him from the hospital with continued oxygen. The advantage (of our service) was that he could be kept on oxygen and fluids all the way to the next vet hospital.

"If the dog had gone with the owner to the hospital without continued critical support, it probably would not have lived."

The Garden Grove-based service embraces the idea that pets should receive emergency service just as their owners do.

Dinky's owner, Eric Young, agrees that his dog could have died if Animal Ambulance had not been available.

"If they had not been there to take my dog to the hospital, I would have had to take him, and I don't have oxygen in the car," said Young. "The drive is only 20 minutes, but without oxygen it wouldn't have been good."

He said he's glad Animal Ambulance is around and called it "a good service."

"If I have to use it again, I will," Young said. "I already have their number saved in my phone."

Pet emergencies


In addition to offering emergency ambulance services 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Southern California, Animal Ambulance provides hospital transfer with oxygen and other critical support, body removals, and home euthanasia.

Animal Ambulance has substations in Escondido and Pacific Beach. Founded five years ago, Animal Ambulance has transported more than 6,000 pets, said owner Andy Berg, and in the process, he said, prevented many pet deaths. "We are the world leader in pre-hospital pet care."

Pet owners who have used Animal Ambulance deem their services professional, comforting and sensitive. A couple who chose home euthanasia for their 14-year-old cat on July 1, due to her spreading tumor and dwindling health, said they are happy and relieved to have spared themselves the grief and trauma of having to go to the veterinarian.

San Diegans Reta and David Sanders described what the trip to the vet would have been like. "She would've cried in her cage the whole way to the vet," Reta Sanders said of her cat, Penny. "I always hated taking her to the vet because she always cried there. Especially this time, it was harder than usual."

Instead, the Sanders' cat was put to sleep at home. "I was spared that trauma on top of the trauma it already was," Reta Sanders said. "It made the choice pretty easy for me."

The Sanderses are also comforted by their belief that their cat had no idea what was happening. "Of course, she saw strange people, but she seemed to be fine," Reta Sanders said. "They did exactly what they said they would. You can't really ask for more than that."

Her husband also recalls the service as being quick and painless and conducted by professionals. "They came in very professional and were very concerned that we were in a sensitive situation," he said. "One gentleman came in first who consulted us and explained the procedure. Then, the veterinarian came in, and both times, they were very sympathetic and made sure we were making the right decision."

And David Sanders has no doubt in his mind that they did make the right decision. "She couldn't function normally," he said of Penny. "She couldn't eat right or hold her bladder; she was weak and skin and bones.

"The bad days were outnumbering the good."

Critical care


Berg, a registered veterinary technician, said the most common type of calls Animal Ambulance receives is for critical care transport, euthanasia, or when a person simply can't handle a large animal. In total, he said, they receive approximately 20 calls a day in all the counties they cover: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego.

"We've found a real need for critical care monitoring service from home to vet or emergency," said regional driver Mitchell. "Many hospitals have clients calling in all the time, saying that their dog is injured and there's no way of them getting it there, asking ŒCan the hospital have someone come pick it up?'"

Berg said they also receive calls about animals suffering from heat stroke, particularly during the summer. "Sometimes people don't check that they have water, or the animals are out playing and don't know when to stop," he said.

"Pet owners who cannot lift their heavy dogs, or have critically ill or injured pets, are in a difficult situation," said Animal Ambulance Marketing Director Airie McCready, who is also an animal care specialist in the ambulance. "Getting a sick or injured dog or cat safely to the vet, without prolonging or worsening the pet's condition, can be difficult or even impossible. We can easily transport pets that are non-ambulatory, severely injured or in respiratory distress directly and safely to the hospital."

Expanding?


Animal Ambulance has eight ambulances available at any given time, but they hope to expand.

"Our goal is to provide the San Diego County area with at least four ambulances within this year," said Berg. "As business increases, our ultimate goal is to have only a half-hour response time. We want to be available quickly when we get a call. We would like to have substations spread out as much as possible so we're available quickly for anyone who needs us."

"We're all in the business of trying to help and save pets," McCready added. "Anything we can do to save a pet's life or keep it from suffering, we're all really happy about."

Animal Ambulance is available in San Diego 24 hours a day, seven days a week on an emergency basis. Pet owners or veterinarians can also call and book appointments. They are always looking for more local veterinarians to expand the availability of the home euthanasia service.

The company charges a base rate of several hundred dollars. Additional charges are added if a second attendant is needed, for supplies and for distances beyond 20 miles, McReady said. Some charges are covered by Pets Best insurance, which has an Escondido office, she added.

In addition to providing ground ambulance services, Animal Ambulance also owns an airplane for long-distance transport. Furthermore, discounts are offered for disabled pet owners, military personnel, senior citizens and those who own or work with service dogs.

For additional information on Animal Ambulance's service in the San Diego County area, call Animal Ambulance Services/Transport: (866) 4PET-911.

On the Net: www.mypet2vet.com

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