FARMINGTON -- In the name of kitty and puppy love, Davis County Animal Care & Control has added a third day to its veterinarian's contract.
To improve animal care services at the Fruit Heights shelter, the Davis County Commission expanded its existing contract with veterinarian Paul Justin Manning to provide an additional day of veterinary services for county animal control.
Manning will continue to receive $55 per hour, from Davis County, but will regularly work at the shelter on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He had been working a Tuesday and Thursday schedule, Davis County Animal Care & Control Director Clint Thacker said.
"Increasing our veterinarian's hours will make it so the animals are being seen more frequently," Thacker said.
Manning will also be available for on-call services for any emergencies that might arise with an animal at the shelter, he said.
The biggest advantage to adding the extra day is a veterinarian will be seeing the animals held at the shelter more frequently, Davis County Commissioner John Petroff Jr. said.
"It provides a better service for the animals," he said. "It is about making sure the animals are well taken care of."
The change in Manning's schedule is in no way a response to a December incident when a 9-year-old poodle mix was taken in at the shelter and apparently suffered a seizure, Thacker said.
That dog, after being retrieved by its owner, suffered similar seizures at home and as a result died. The pet owner said another veterinarian who treated her dog reported that the dog died from stress.
Thacker said he has been working with the county's budget committee on the schedule change for Manning since October.
In adding an additional work day to Manning's schedule, Thacker said, he wanted to be sure there would be the necessary funds in the 2012 calendar year budget to cover any added expense.
Having the veterinarian work the extra day should also increase the number of animal sterilizations that can be performed each week, Thacker said, which presents another opportunity to get animals at the shelter adopted out more quickly.
The veterinarian, who will also perform surgeries when needed, has no set daytime work hours at the shelter, Thacker said, but works until he has completed everything he needs to complete for that day.
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