Pets in need of medical help have been coming to the Loyalsock Animal Hospital for 40 years.
And the business is still growing, according to Dr. Mary Lou Beers, a veterinarian and owner.
"We have five veterinarians," she said. "We are hoping to have another one coming on board. We are very busy."
Beers recently gave a tour of the building set up to give the best care possible to animals.
Veterinarians and employees strive to provide quality, compassion and competent care.
"We have longevity among our staff members," she said. "That is unusual in veterinary medicine. They are experienced. They know what they are doing."
The operations include a surgical area, laboratory, radiology, even a pharmacy.
"We do ultrasounds so we can look at pregnancies," she said. "We do dental procedures, extractions and we can fix cavities, although that's not a big part of our practice."
The hospital has a special Feline Center where cats can be examined and treated away from the rest of the animal population.
Why a special area for cats?
"Dogs are happy anywhere," she explained. "The more relaxed cats are, the easier it is to work with them."
Of course, dogs and cats make up the bulk of the animals treated and cared for at the hospital.
"We also treat snakes, ferrets and mice," she said. "We don't do birds. We have worked with wild animals."
Beers said staff members will spend a lot of time talking to and educating pet owners.
After all, that's part of the mission of the hospital.
She feels the staff is the hospital's best asset.
"When you bring your pet here you become part of our family," Beers said. "We care about you, and we care about your pet."
Beers couldn't put a number on how many pets are treated there.
But many of same people have been coming to the hospital for 40 years with their pets.
Emergency care is provided, and although the facility is not staffed 24 hours, pets can be referred to an emergency center in Watsontown if needed.
Plans call for expanding the business.
"Right now, we are just making the best of what we have," she said.
Beers noted that the technology is not the state-of-the-art equipment that is found in most medical facilities where humans are treated and cared for.
Still, improvements have been made in recent years.
The x-ray has been converted to digital capabilities.
"We have a pretty full service laboratory," she said. "We can do blood samples and urine samples."
