Mrs. Dodson showed up with circles under her eyes for her cat’s annual exam - she was clearly tired. As the cat carrier’s door jostled I heard Tipper yowl and suspected why Mrs. Dodson might be losing sleep.
During my physical exam I noted that Tipper lost a pound and a half, had an elevated heart rate, and I could feel a small nodule on his throat.
This week’s San Diego fires defined the meaning of “chaos”. Especially if you have pets and tried to figure out how to care for them during the calls for evacuation. If, during the process, you lost your pet, it’s important to act immediately. First, call the San Diego County Department of Animals Services Dispatch at (619) 236-2341 to report your missing pet. Then, call our hospital - we take photos of nearly every patient and can quickly update our Lost Pets folder / board. And, if your pet has been microchipped, contact either the veterinary hospital which carried out the procedure, or the company that administers the chip registration for your pet.
We maintain a paper record of all the pets we microchip, so don’t hesitate to ring us. Also, all our microchipped patients are registered with HomeAgain - their number is 1-888-466-3242. (more…)
Our evacuation order has been lifted, and we’re open! However, so far as we know, access to the hospital is only possible from San Dieguito Road. Please feel free to call us for updates at 858-759-8797 - we’re currently fielding calls for appointments, refill requests, and any pet-related concern you may have.Today, we’ll work on a walk-in basis but hope to return to normal operations by Monday.
Update: All roads around Rancho Santa Fe have opened. Access to our hospital is possible from any road - view the map on our home page for greater detail.
It’s been tough these last few days for everybody. What’s worse is knowing that many of our clients are still under mandatory evacuation orders, and unfortunately we fall under the same camp. The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department has a page they update often and based on that we’re guessing we’ll be able to get in and clean up starting Thursday or Friday (that is, assuming continued favorable weather conditions!).
In the meantime, folks have been calling our main line which gets forwarded to my cell, and I’ve been happy to help with the questions that arise. So, check back later for an update - we’ll know by later tonight regarding our status for tomorrow.
Finally, I just wanted to acknowledge the trials and sense of duty exhibited by our staff. Some have volunteered their time helping less fortunate animals in Qualcomm, while others have and continue to be displaced by evacuation orders. Others still have welcomed families into their homes. Despite that, we’re all in good spirits, and I’m proud to be working with such a great team of individuals.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007, 8:50PM.
So far, we have been fortunate - our hospital and the Helen Woodward Animal Center are still standing. Still, our hearts go out to those less lucky who have lost their homes or have been displaced by these fires.
It does appear that most of the news has taken a positive turn, and while we will be closed on Wednesday October 23, we’re crossing our fingers and hope to be open on Thursday the 24th. We’re going to make a site assessment (if we can get past the national guard) on Wednesday to determine if the air quality and fire fallout are at levels we believe our patients, employees, and clients can cope with. So, please stay tuned until then.
Currently, all calls to our main number at 858-759-8797 are automatically forwarded to the cell phone of Dave (me), the general manager. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions whatsoever.
While it appears that San Dieguito road is open at the moment, surrounding roads have been closed to through traffic around Rancho Santa Fe. Plus, the mandatory evacuation order remains in effect in our area. Sporadic news stories indicate fires around our immediate area, but the extent of these and damage caused is unknown.
While there exists a small chance for us to reopen on Wednesday, much of this will depend on the state of the evacuation order as well as air quality conditions. Please continue to visit this website for updates - as of now we have no way to check messages left on our answering machine.
Alternatively, feel free to email us at info@rsfvets.com as (for now) we have the ability access and respond to email requests.
Best,
Dave Oei
General Manager