If you’re a longtime pet owner or became one recently, you’ve probably found that it’s not easy to see a veterinarian. Some clinics have wait times of a few months, and some have stopped taking new clients altogether. With this in mind, Dr. Christine Monroe has opened Spay Neuter Northwest (SNNW) in Ferndale to offer spay neuter services for dogs and cats, along with vaccinations, flea and deworming treatments, and microchip placement available on the day of surgery.
Originally from a small town in Michigan, Monroe graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She moved to Ferndale in 1998 and has been busy improving the lives of our four-legged friends ever since. During her six years as the shelter veterinarian, Dr. Monroe started the Whatcom Humane Society veterinary program, which still exists today. She also worked for years as a co-owner and veterinarian at Maplewood Animal Hospital in Bellingham.
In 2018, Monroe left private practice and developed an innovative way to care for area animals. Rescue Pet Vet (RPV) is a mobile veterinary trailer that services nonprofit shelters and dog and cat rescues.
“Then the pandemic occurred, which meant that all of the sudden people were willing to come to me, so the mobile part kind of shut down,” says Monroe. “RPV is still providing services, and we have become more stationary, but we’ll always have the capability of being mobile.”
Pet owners have also seen the pandemic’s effect on the world of veterinary medicine in a variety of other ways. Most clinics shut down elective spay neuter surgeries. “Animal ownership increased because people were home [and ] thought, ‘we can get a puppy, we can get a kitten, we can spend time with them,’” Monroe says.
At the same time, things were also changing inside the veterinary clinics. Many employees, including ancillary staff and veterinarians, stopped working during the pandemic, leaving many clinics with staff shortages. That led to clients having difficulty getting veterinary care in even the most basic forms, leaving a national backlog of around three million spays and neuters.
In 2022, Monroe decided she could help ease that burden by creating Spay Neuter Northwest, a clinic that would focus on one aspect of care: spaying and neutering. “Not necessarily a huge volume, but high enough and with consistency,” she says. “That’s all we do. And because my overhead costs are less, I can bring down the price point. Our goal is to provide quality care for an affordable price.”
As part of SNNW’s service, Monroe wants to be able to offer services to those that need financial support; but as a veterinarian, she doesn’t want to be screening applicants and producing fundraisers. “So I’ve partnered with select local rescue groups who provide financial assistance in the form of vouchers for those who qualify,” she says. “Our voucher program is proving to be very successful.”
When clients arrive at the clinic, the first person they usually see is Office Manager Shelby Croy, who has been working with pets — and with Monroe — for years. “We met on a football field when our kids were playing together over 10 years ago,” Croy says. The two worked at Maplewood Animal Hospital together, and after ten-and-a-half years, Croy left to start a business with her husband. The two stayed in touch and it wasn’t long before Croy learned about SNNW and signed on to the team.
Because the clinic is small, Croy usually greets clients outside of the building. “In the mornings I set up our sandwich board and cones outside, so people know where to park. Clients text that they have arrived, I go out to greet them, verify the services that they need, and then bring their pets into the clinic,” she says. “Throughout the day I prep the patient’s goodie bags with a toy, aftercare instructions, a summary treatment sheet and post op medications, and contact them with a pickup time. When they return, I go out with their goodie bag and go over everything with them, take their pets to them, and then send them on their way.”
The staff also includes Veterinary Assistant Adrian Hoare, who worked at the Skagit Humane Society when RPV began weekly visits. He assisted Monroe once a week for a year before she brought him on first at RPV, and then at SNNW, as well. Hoare values being surrounded by new pet owners who are taking positive steps to insure a healthy future for their animals.
Finally, Clinic Assistant Rhonda Shaffer acts as RPV’s feral cat coordinator, and assists with tasks from cleaning instruments to monitoring recovering cats and dogs.
Monroe recommends that people visit the Spay Neuter Northwest Facebook page, where the pinned post at the top of the page shows information including policies, prices, financial assistance, and the link to schedule an appointment. Clients will be able to visit the SNNW website as soon as it is completed.
