Thanks to a $300,000 grant from Brooks McCormick Jr. Trust, DuPage County Animal Services has a brand new, custom-built, 26-foot veterinary van.
The van is equipped with a whole host of medical supplies, capable of performing spay/neuter surgeries, dentistry, blood work, micro chipping, even x-rays and more.
When an animal first comes in for a procedure, they’re shaved and put under on the technician’s table.
“It’s also a wet table, it has a soft cushion so the animals are comfortable. And part slides off and for a wet sink so you can use the water hose and if you needed to flush a wound or bathe an animal,” explained Dr. Barbara Hanek, veterinary administrator for DuPage County Animal Services.
From there, they can be transferred to the surgical suite.
“It has a heated surgery table. Sometimes we’re doing surgeries on animals that are just say two pounds and don’t have a lot of body fat and they can get cold once sedated,” said Hanek.
The veterinary van is meant to support animals that wouldn’t get help otherwise, like feral cats caught by trap-neuter-release groups.
“We’re able to go out into the rest of the county with the animal shelter and go out and help the feral cats or other animals that are in need where people just can’t get them here and take care of neutering and spaying that other services that are needed,” said Janice Anderson, a DuPage County Board member who sits on the Animal Services Committee.
When not performing medical services, the van can be used as a mobile adoption center. Several of its cages also function as displays.
“People will be able to see animals from the outside like window shopping,” said Hanek. “If we have an adoption event people can see them from the outside instead of stressing the animals by bringing them inside.”
You can check out the vet van on July 26 in Central Park.
Naperville News 17’s Blane Erwin reports.
