Buddy’s Animal Rescue Klinic – BARK Hospital

At last year’s Golden Gala, we witnessed magic, if not a miracle. We announced our dream of an on-site veterinary center and in less than ten minutes had received pledges for over $50,000 toward it. In the subsequent weeks, additional pledges and donations came in. We began converting an outdoor 16 x 20 kennel into our Veterinary Care Center on July 25th and miraculously held our ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 24th. Thanks to our donors and all those who generously sponsored the equipment needed, we truly began a new era at Golden Gateway on October 18 when Dr. Erin Murphy performed the first exam and surgery. We are thrilled to roll out the red carpet at this year’s Gala to honor you – our most valuable strength.

There are so many primary, secondary and tertiary benefits to the newly sponsored Buddy’s Animal Rescue Klinic – BARK Hospital. The primary benefit, of course, is reduction in our veterinary costs. Moving forward, we will pay less for all veterinary care and medications and continue to expect a full return on investment in three years – an ROI any private sector business would envy.

The secondary benefits come in the form of lab and dental work. We are now able to affordably provide a critical blood chemistry to enhance adoption prospects for “our stars” at Gateway since we can report on organ function. This test previously cost $280.00, but thanks to our donors and generous support, our cost is now $52.00. Dentistry was a luxury we could not afford before opening BARK but is now done under anesthesia or specifically on any dog with Grade 1 or more plaque – saving the dog from a second procedure and saving our adopting families this additional cost.

Finally, having on-site veterinary care has eliminated the need for staff to transport dogs for medical care, which in turn, also reduces the stress for the dogs. Even the simplest vet run took about four hours, precious time that our staff now uses for important tasks like training and enrichment. In turn, this allows us to enhance the work we do to prepare every dog for adoption, which reduces the number of days dogs spend at Gateway. Of course, that in turn reduces our overall costs, not just the medical ones.

The benefits of the BARK Hospital have truly exceeded our expectations. Thanks to your ongoing support, the dogs that come to Gateway will receive needed care with reduced stress and be ready for adoption sooner… and that’s really our ultimate goal and underlying mission.