Published: May 04, 2007 09:37 am         

Pets as patients

Several rescued cats, a colorful guinea pig and an African Gray Parrot that barks is just part of what a person can see at the new Eagles Landing Pet Hospital.

Dr. Connie Spencer is the newest veterinarian in town and has opened the facility at 330 West First Street in Morehead.

After graduating from Auburn University, Spencer spent five years working as a vet in Prestonsburg and five years in the Lexington area.

After deciding to settle in Morehead,

Spencer said she always wanted to open her own business.

Along with Spencer’s “silent partners” her husband Army Sgt. Todd Below and her father Darvin Spencer, she recently opened the doors to the hospital and hopes to gain the confidence of new clients.

“I am very impressed with this community,” Spencer said Wednesday. “Everyone has welcomed us with open arms, and we are very pleased to be a part of this area and to open a business here.”

Just as any veterinarian, Spencer offers routine checkups for family pets, surgery and lab work, but she also is working on offering the community 24-hour emergency service for sick or injured pets.

“It’s important that you have emergency service,” she said. “I am looking into hiring another veterinarian to help with night hours and also looking to hire a person to do farm calls. It will be hard for me to do all of it myself, so I hope to get a couple of other people to help.”

Also staffed at Eagles Landing are office manager Haley Loyd, and three veterinary technicians, Todd Mercier, Latissa O’Cull and Jenna Grief.

Spencer said although they cannot perform surgery, diagnosis ailments, or prescribe medications; the vet techs are trained to do multiple areas of animal care.

Not only does Spencer enjoy her job as a veterinarian, she also has a personal passion for all animals. In fact, the rescued cats, fish and birds are members of her family and actually live at Eagles Landing.

“We really love animals,” she said. “All of the cats you see here were found either on the side of the road or in parking lots. We took them in and they have become family.”

When it comes to caring for pets, Spencer said her practice doesn’t stop at domestic animals such as cats or dogs but also offers care for exotic pets, pocket pets and birds.

When asked about possibly treating pigmy goats, Spencer said the only problem with some farm animals is that she may not have the right medications at the facility.

“If it will fit through the door, we will try to treat any animal,” she commented.

Eagles Landing is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Spencer said the 24 hours service would be available as soon as additional help is hired. For those wanting to meet Spencer and her staff, an open house is scheduled for May 12 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. “We invite the community to stop by at anytime to meet us and see the hospital,” she said. “We certainly hope that everyone does come by for the open house. We would like to meet as many people in the community as we can.”