Meet Zack Stout!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Zack joined the veterinary nursing team in July 2008. Originally from Bakersfield, Zack moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. He is an Animal Science major and would like to attend vet school some day. Zack is interested in most physical activities and it is very likely to come across him playing volleyball at Pismo Beach. 

Spay and Neuter Commercial

Spaying and neutering can provide tremendous health benefits to your dog and cat. If you choose to breed a pet, be sure you understand the responsibilities this entails. Dogs and cats should be screened for genetic diseases and sound reproductive health before breeding. And you need to be sure you can provide good homes for all of the offspring. Contact Animal Care Clinic for more information on canine and feline reproduction and on the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets.

Mercy, Love and Pure Christmas Joy

By Bonnie Markoff, DVM

It’s Christmas time.  A time I often reflect on how God has blessed us so richly.  One of his greatest blessings is the animals.  This morning our pastor used a wonderful animal analogy in explaining God’s mercy on us.  I wanted to share it with you and expand upon it a bit in hopes that this analogy will help you better appreciate and thus enjoy this often-stressful holiday season.

Christmas is all about God’s tender mercy on us, and His plan to save us from ourselves.  As my pastor tried to explain mercy this morning, he recalled the feeling he had as he walked through local shelters and saw the dogs & cats that needed homes.  He was not an animal person (but I think he is now!), yet the plight of these little ones tugged at his heart.  He wanted to save them all.  God has this same desire to save us all.  His love for us tugs at His heart.  Some of us gladly jump into His arms, lick His face and enter His family with tails wagging.  Others pull back, bare our teeth and bite or scratch when He tries to feed us.  It is so comforting to know that God will keep working with the reticent, hoping they will someday come around.  I just love that God has given us animals to help demonstrate His love for us.

When I come home each evening I find my dog running towards my car, wiggling and squirming with joy.  My first reaction is to feel loved and to share in the joy that my dog is experiencing.  I am often reminded that I wish I could approach God like that – with reckless abandon and pure joy.  How lovely would my life be if I could just develop that one skill?  I am so thankful to God that He has given me this daily reminder of how much He loves me.  I hope you feel that same joy, peace and love this Christmas.

(If you want to hear the entire sermon with the dog adoption story, go to Gracevine.com and under the resources tab, go to sermons.  It is the 12/12/10 sermon and will likely be available just after Christmas.)

Meet Lavella Short!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Lavella has been the Customer Service Manager since coming to us in July 2008.  She is a native of San Luis Obispo and has lived here a majority of her life.  She has worked for the IRS while living in Fresno, been a Phlebotomist as well as an EMT, and most recently as a Lasik Technician prior to coming to Animal Care Clinic.  In June 2010 she adopted a "brother" for her cat, Rocky, from the Department of Animal Services.  He's a Cheweenie (Chihuahua and Dachshund mix) named Petey.  Although they are different species, they get along amazingly well.  Lavella loves NASCAR, football (go Chargers!), movies, traveling, making clay figurines and hanging out with family and friends. 

First Animal Care Clinic Trip to Mexicali

Four employees of Animal Care Clinic (Bonnie Markoff, Travis Morris, Ashley Ventimiglia, and Nicole Gunkel) took a trip to Mexicali, Mexico in what we deemed a "fact finding mission." Our own Gustavo Rayas along with our new friends from the Mexicali vet school, Tomas Renteria and Julio Mercado, have a vision to improve upon the curriculum and to raise the small animal hospital to AAHA standards. We were shown hospitality by everyone we met! Tours of the university owned small animal veterinary hospital and veterinary school were given on day one, followed by a presentation to a group of students by Dr. Markoff and Ashley on "Practicing Excellence" and a discussion of goals for our future involvement together on day two. ACC was excited by the people we met and are looking forward to a cooperative exchange and future involvement in Mexicali!

Animal Care Clinic Ventures to Mexicali!

Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Mexicali.

Written by Gustavo Rayas, RVT

Ever since I graduated veterinary school in Mexico, I have had the dream to come back and help my school to improve and develop. Then six years ago Dr. Markoff and I were talking about an idea to visit my vet school in Mexicali. We started brainstorming about what we could do to help them. My biggest goal was to train them in leadership skills, management, and confidently developing working protocols. These are areas we work on to achieve at Animal Care Clinic to a high level and not previously focused in Mexico. When my good friend and classmate, Tomas Renteria was promoted to dean of the veterinary school, a great opportunity presented itself. Tomas shares with me a vision to work with and improve the vet school in Mexicali.  I went back to Bonnie and presented my idea again, and this time, we ran with it. 

In July of 2010, a group of school officials came to visit Animal Care Clinic during our annual Wine Gala/Open House and also to see Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo. This opened up personal relations between Animal Care Clinic and the Mexicali vet school.  After further discussion, we agreed to focus my goal by working on bringing the school up to American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) standards. These standards encourage the best management practices, medical procedures, and customer service in animal hospitals in North America. 

Team Animal Care Clinic/Mexicali during our first visit to the Mexicali vet school.

Dr. Markoff discussing our future involvement with Tomas Renteria,
vet school staff and students.

This November, Dr. Markoff led a small team of Animal Care Clinic employees to scout out the vet school and their small animal veterinary hospital. The trip was very successful and our team members were excited by our idea after seeing the current facilities and meeting students and staff members.  The future plan is for Animal Care Clinic to act as their formal mentor.  We will follow the AAHA Mentoring Program step-by-step in order to establish a good relationship and learning environment.  We hope that our working relationship with our new friends in Mexicali will lead to not only us helping them, but new experiences and personal growth for our own team.  We will keep you posted with future updates and look forward to what the future brings!   

Meet Alex Stone!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Alex has been a part of the ACC lodge team since February 2008 and now also works as a veterinary nurse. Originally from Newbury Park, California, he currently attends Cal Poly and aspires to one day attend veterinary school. He is an active volunteer at the Cal Poly Vet Clinic. Alex has a lab named Buddy, he also loves to play sports with friends, especially baseball. He also enjoys working in the mountains of Idaho doing trail maintenance for the Forest Service during the summer.