MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — After a devastating fire at a veterinary clinic in Monroe County, patients and pets were left without their doctor. Luckily, clinics in the area are stepping up to help.
For the past month, veterinary clinics in Monroe County have seen record numbers of patients after losing one clinic in a fire.
In June, Best Friends Veterinary Clinic in Saylorsburg caught fire. Without the clinic and Doctor Sobers, clients were forced to seek other places for their pets' treatment.
Down the road, Creature Comforts Clinic opened its doors to the clients affected by the fire, but faced challenges as patients couldn't access their records right away.
The manager tells 28/22 News one of their biggest challenges is the extra time it's taking to get these new patients into their system.
"By law, all clients with a veterinary hospital have to have an established veterinary-patient relationship within a year within the practice. So, clients who saw Dr. Sobers had to establish that with us," Canadensis Veterinary Clinic Veterinarian Doctor Pat McCabe told 28/22 News.
Man robbed by four, allegedly beat with porch chairCanadensis Veterinary Clinic is also getting calls from best friends' clients, but with their own schedule booked, they aren't able to help.
"You know, we've gotten to the point where we have had to turn away new clients for the time being. Hopefully, in the fall, we'll be able to open up some more appointments to non-clients," Dr. McCabe added.
Along with an overload of clients, Dr. McCabe also tells 28/22 News she worries about veterinary clinics themselves.
"I'm a little concerned that there's not too many independent veterinarians anymore; there's a lot of corporations. I mean, I love being an independent practitioner, but I think we're becoming an extinct species," Dr. McCabe continued.
As Dr. Sobers gets her clinic up and running again, the clinics close by are committed to helping where they can.
"We will continue to support, you know, these pets and their care as we move forward, and we hope that she's able to get this worked out with everything that's happened because it's just so incredibly tragic," said Practice Manager of Creature Comforts Veterinary Clinic, Samantha B.
Best Friends tells 28/22 News they now have access to their records, and patients can now request their information.