Mobile Veterinary Service Is More Than A Pet Project

A new mobile veterinary clinic got rolling in October when Dr. Tracey Fahey launched her private practice.

The Berkshire Eagle reports Berkshire Barks and Purrs Advanced Mobile VetCare offers services that include annual wellness checkups, X-rays, surgeries and dental work.

Fahey, the clinic's sole doctor, also takes the van out to respond to emergencies seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Fahey, 44, said she was encouraged to open a wheeled clinic, instead of a bricks-and-mortar operation, by her desire to spend more time one-on-one with pets and clients.

To do this, Fahey said she had to keep the overhead costs of doing business low. A new veterinarian will spend about $1 million to open a stationary clinic, she said, while a mobile clinic costs about one-fourth of that.

With 18 years of experience in veterinary medicine, Fahey said she has seen pet health care shift from private ownership and relationship building to a more corporate business model that relies on quick patient turnover.

Berkshire Barks and Purrs travel within a 25-mile radius of its home base on Miller Avenue in Sheffield. Each visit includes a $40 to $50 travel fee. An exam is $65, and vaccines are about $25.