Now Accepting New Clients By Referral
Good news! We have heard from many of you that you have recommended St. Francis Animal Hospital to friends and family, only to be disappointed to learn that we are not accepting new clients. Their wait is over! We are now accepting new clients on a referral-only basis. This policy will ensure that new clients come with your trusted recommendation, allowing us to build on our strong foundation of lifelong relationships that we already have with you.
Starting today, Friday May 31st, we will accept new clients who are referred to us by current clients. If you would like to refer someone, they will need to provide your name as a referral recommendation when they call to schedule their first visit.
We think that referrals are the best review that you can give us, and we appreciate the opportunity to allow new clients into our tight-knit community. Thank you for your ongoing trust and support!
What To Do If your Pet Runs Away
When your pet accidentally slips out the door, dashes after a squirrel, or runs off at the dog park and doesn’t come back when you call, the whole world seems to screech to a halt. It can be hard to know what to do next when your mind is spinning. The best way to protect your pet in these worst-case scenarios is to prepare ahead of time so that your pet makes their way safely back to you.
- Make sure your pet is wearing accurate, up-to-date identification. A collar with an ID tag is the fastest way for someone to know how to reach you in the event they find your pet. There are many options available, including tags with scannable QR codes, although the standard metal engraved ID tag with a phone number and address is still the easiest way for someone to know where your pet belongs.
- Get your pet microchipped! Unfortunately, collars and harnesses can slip off, and ID tags don’t always stay on collars. The most permanent identification for your pet is an implantable microchip. These are tiny chips, about the size of a grain of rice, that are implanted under the skin. A special scanner can read the ID number of the chip, and anyone can visit https://www.aaha.org/for-veterinary-professionals/microchip-search/ and enter the ID number to determine which company the microchip is registered with.
- Remember, a microchip is only as good as its registration; if you haven’t updated your pet’s microchip with your current phone number and address, it won’t help your pet make their way back to you. Take a moment to look up your own pet’s microchip number and see if your registration is up to date!
- Use other ID tags too. Your pet’s city license and rabies tags also have unique identification numbers. If your pet’s main ID tag falls off, these might also help someone identify your pet. They don’t do any good if you leave them in a drawer!
- Know your local lost pet social media resources. In Minnesota, the Facebook groups Lost Dogs Minnesota, Lost Cats Minnesota, and local Nextdoor pages are all good options to utilize when your pet has run away. Local Animal Humane Societies also often list recently-found pets, including photos.
We hope that you never need to use the above resources for your pet, but it’s best to be prepared. Even the most responsible pet owner can’t avoid every possible situation that might make a pet run off. Here’s to a very safe summer ahead!
2024 MN Women’s Press Readers Recommend
Favorite Animal Hospital or Veterinarian
https://www.womenspress.com/2024-readers-recommend/
St. Francis Animal Hospital (Dr. Blair)
St. Francis Animal Hospital’s Dr. Jennifer Blair began working at the Roseville clinic 25 years ago as a veterinary assistant. After receiving her doctorate, she was hired as an associate veterinarian and went on to purchase the practice in 2006. Since then, she has worked to expand the hospital’s services to include hospice and palliative care as well as integrative services. Dr. Blair is beloved by her clients and has never stopped learning how to better care for their pets — she is certified in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and is currently studying more non-western approaches to animal care and pain management.
—
On behalf of St Francis Animal Hospital, I would like to express our gratitude for this special honor. It has been my privilege to serve the St Francis community for nearly 25 years. We are proud to be an independently-owned, women-owned neighborhood veterinary clinic with specialty niches in integrative services, hospice and palliative care, and exotics medicine and surgery.
Knowing that the day-to-day care of your loved ones at St Francis is in the excellent hands of my co-owners, Dr. Jessica Lewis and Dr. Megan Schommer, along with our incredible team of practice managers, doctors, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, and client service representatives, has allowed me to shift my focus towards expanding St Francis Integrative Services. My passion has always centered around geriatric care, chronic disease management, pain management, hospice and palliative care, and acupuncture. I am so grateful to be able to do this work that I love, providing individualized patient care, collaborating on therapeutic plans, and building special relationships with both the animals and the humans. I look forward to continuing this amazing work for years to come.
Thank you again, on behalf of everyone at St Francis, for this distinct honor!
With gratitude,
Jennifer Blair, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CTPEP
Celebrating Staff Achievements
We are excited to celebrate some big staff achievements this past month!
- Veterinary Technician Baylee May graduated Summa Cum Laude from the veterinary technician program at Penn Foster University. We have been so proud to watch Baylee develop into a compassionate, talented veterinary technician, and are excited as she enters into the profession as a veterinary technician. Congratulations, Baylee!
- Veterinary Assistant Lillian Schmitz was accepted to the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. We are excited to see her join the professional ranks as a veterinarian!
- Veterinary Technicians Laura Keohokalole and Adam Bender graduated from the veterinary technician program at Dakota County Technical College. Laura and Adam are newer members of our veterinary technician team, and they both have demonstrated their dedication to providing exceptional care to patients and clients alike. Congratulations, Laura and Adam!
Upcoming Closures
Thursday, July 4th