vet hospital offers low-cost care for Harrisonburg pets

By SHIRIN ZIA FAQIRI The Breeze

Valentines and Amor arrive at Anicira from local shelters. These puppies, eight-weekold hound mixes, are receiving vaccines and additional care in preparation to be adopted.

“It’s pretty amazing what you see,” Katie Nicholson, Anicira marketing and communications director, said. “Pets come in, who are very, very sick and you see them recover. You see families who are in need and can’t afford care, and we’re able to help them and it’s a really emotional process. It’s a pretty amazing place to work.”

Anicira, a nonprofit veterinary hospital, collaborates with local shelters like the Rockingham/Harrisonburg SPCA (RHSPCA), Greene County Animal Shelter and Cats Cradle. With an influx of animals coming into shelters and rising costs stopping many people from caring for pets, Nicholson said they work with the shelters to offer lowcost spay and neuter operations, reducing the growing pet population.

Nicholson said the hospital serves both JMU students and residents.

“We serve everyone in the community, but we also offer free services to certain members of our community who are in need of extra help,” Nicholson said. “So [that means] affordable care for all and subsidized care for those who need it.”

Nicholson also said Anicira offers affordable care through Operation Free Pet Health Care, a program which “provides anything from general medical and wellness care all the way up to advanced surgeries.”

“With that program, we’re able to provide subsidized care to over 2,000 pets each year,” Nicholson said. “That program is supported through donations and support of our community members.”

Anicira also offers a pet food pantry where its staff takes pet food and litter that’s been donated and distributes it twice a month on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Dan Chavez, Anicira operations coordinator, said one Saturday earlier in February they distributed around 9,500 pounds of food to just over 100 families.

“I t was a fairly large event … We just anticipate we’re gonna have every couple of weeks in similar measures,” Chavez said. “Right now, we’re on pace, given what we’ve seen so far in the first two months, that we’re going to be exceeding even what we did last year, raising almost 400,000 meals for pets.”

Brittney Hoover, lead licensed veterinary technician at Anicira, said working for the nonprofit is a great chance to treat patients who wouldn’t normally be able to get the care that they need. She said because of tight budget costs, they sometimes have to think outside the box for medication and treatment.

“We have to figure out ways to maximize the amount of medications that we can give or different types of treatment protocols that we can do with the budget,” Hoover said. “It can get interesting and trying at times, but it also, you know, allows us as technicians to utilize all of our skills and … kind of take on more of a leadership role in cases like that.”

Nicholson reflected on the different cases that she witnessed during her time at Anicira. She’s seen everything from dogs who’ve been hit by cars and needed leg amputations to a cat being shot and needing the bullet removed.

“We see some of the saddest stuff … but we also are able to help the pets and that’s really what it’s all about,” Nicholson said. “Part of our mission is to keep animals with the people who love them with their families by providing affordable veterinary care.”

CONTACT Shirin Zia Faqiri at breezepress@gmail.com. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.