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Upland woman cleans up in dog-wash business


Education key to curbing stray animal population

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press
Sunday, April 26, 2009.
By CRAIG CURRIER
Valley Press Staff Writer

 

PALMDALE - Lisa Tipton admits she isn't going to solve the Antelope Valley's ever-present problem with stray animals, but she, like many others, is out to slow it down at least.

An animal lover with more than 11 years experience as a rescuer as well as in spay and neuter programs, Tipton opened her Angel Dogs Foundation in August 2008.

She recently took to the streets in a 31-foot-long mobile veterinary clinic, which she wheels out every morning, parking at various locations with the hope she can not only serve the public, but educate people as well.

"We're not going to rescue our way out of this mess," Tipton said. "We're not going to adopt our way out of this mess. The more accessible we make spay/neuter, the better."

The problem Tipton talks about is a population of stray animals that has swelled in the Antelope Valley over the past few years.

The problem is so severe that animal enthusiasts are uniting to find a fix.

Tracy Fish, who moved to west Palmdale six months ago with her five pets, approached Tipton's clinic on wheels this past week with plenty of stories. All but one of Fish's pets are ones she rescued from the wild. Since coming up from the San Fernando Valley, Fish has absorbed two more strays.

"I can't walk my dogs because there's so many strays," said Fish, the owner of four dogs and three cats. "We would find cats in the (San Fernando) Valley because people's animals do get out. But nothing like here."

Fish spotted Tipton's truck in the PETCO parking lot on 10th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard. She wants to attack the growing problem from the start by having her pets' reproductive organs removed humanely.

Tipton said it's a common assumption that everybody knows about the spaying and neutering procedure, but that's not always the case.

"Some people just have never heard of removing reproductive organs of animals," she said. "Ideally, we'd like to be in the worst neighborhoods."

That's why Tipton decided the clinic on wheels concept would work best for her organization. Inside the truck is a 26-foot-long veterinary clinic divided into two rooms - one for surgery prep and another for the surgery.

At least three veterinary technicians work in the clinic during operations. Two help anesthetize the animals and another assists the veterinarian in performing the surgeries.

Dr. Long Tran of Irvine is among the veterinarians who work for Angel Dogs, conducting procedures that number in double digits almost every day. The work, he said, is intensive, but that doesn't affect the outcome.

"The quality is the same," Tran said. "People say a portable (facility) means low quality, but the material we use is the best. The complication rate is very low."

The vets and technicians of Angel Dogs, which first rolled out to the public on April 1, can complete more than 30 surgeries each day, he said.

At present, Tipton's nonprofit organization daily is performing surgeries about one-third of that number, which is frustrating on two levels.

Not only is she having trouble breaking even financially, but she feels helpless about her effort to curb animal overpopulation.

Tipton is working seven days a week, driving from her Santa Clarita home to work long hours outside and inside the truck.

From Sunday to Tuesday the truck is parked outside PETCO, but Tipton's crew goes out to Sorenson Park in Lake Los Angeles on Wednesday and spends Thursday and Friday at Charlie Brown Farms in Littlerock.

She's still looking for a permanent Saturday location and is always exploring options that would gain more exposure.

Tipton is the only paid member of the organization's five board members, but she also must cover the cost of diesel fuel burned in running the truck all day. There's also insurance costs and the employees to pay, she notes.

Tipton maintains that her charge of $110 for dogs and $90 for cats is cheaper than many other clinics, but said she needs more business to keep the organization afloat.

"Every day that we're out here we have a certain cost on our overhead," she said. "Our vets are specialized spay/neuter vets; they aren't cheap.

"Our costs are the same whether we have 30 patients or five."

On the day an Antelope Valley Press reporter visited, a steady stream of people like Fish walked up with questions, but Tipton says she still has the challenge of educating people about spay/neuter and convincing them to have the operation done in a oversized truck.

"I love working in (the truck)," said veterinarian technician Karen Doane, who lives in Frazier Park and works for Angel Dogs about four times a week. "At first it was a little disorganized, but now we've got it down."

Tipton maintains that she's dedicated to the cause and says she's searching for new ways to defray the cost for spaying and neutering.

"I wish we were free," Tipton said. "I wish we were $20 or $40, but I can only do as much as funding allows me.

"We want to be a part of this community; it's the only way that things will change."

ccurrier@avpress.com


 

Price increase

Effective 2/28/09,   all self-service washes will have   a price increase of $1. 

We hate to do it, but we are simply unable to absorb the never-ending rising costs of supplies and other costs of running the business.   We hope you understand our need to do this, and we sincerely appreciate your business. 

 

 

 

 

 


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7 Feb 2010    West Hollywood Puppy Mill Animal Retail Sale Ban Passes
 
29 Apr 2009    Education key to curbing stray animal population
 

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