Animal Medical Center of Highland Village: Your Other Family Doctors

from Best of Denton County 2021

David Ryan Salon: Bringing Hair Color to Life

your other by Mark Miller FAMILY DOCTORS

With so many veterinary practices providing cat and dog care in Denton County, what separates one practice from another?

Relationships, says Susan Pomroy, practice manager at Animal Medical Center of Highland Village. They are a big reason why voters named it the No. 1 Veterinary Clinic along with Dr. Lorien Schoelkopf listed among the top three veterinarians in the 2021 Best of Denton County contest.

“We love our clients,” Pomroy said. “Their pets

other family doctors.’ ”

Animal Medical Center of Highland Village, a four-doctor practice, opened in 2002 when Dr. L. Austin Strauch and Dr. Paul McCullough merged

in Highland Village in 1984 and Dr. McCullough the second, launching his practice in 1994.

their parents and animals. Now those children are coming back with their own pets,” Pomroy said. “It’s very rewarding as we get quite attached, they’re like an extended family member.”

That family feeling has extended to Dr. Lauren Carnes. She grew up bringing her pets to the practice and working there. Three years ago, she had the opportunity to return to the practice after graduating from veterinary school.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a number of challenges to doctors and their staff.

“Learning how to adapt, we started with curbside appointments,” Pomroy said. “After realizing the client-doctor-patient relationship was strained we adjusted allowing one person to accompany their furry family member inside. Our other services remained curbside. We tried to do business as usual just in a different way.”

Yet for everyone involved, the pandemic has been rewarding as more furry family members

“Pets play such a vital role to people, always a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, and they will always

Pomroy said.

Best Veterinary Clinic

Animal Medical Center of Highland Village 972.317.7387 2810 Justin Road Highland Village, TX 75077 AnimalMedicalCenterHV.com

Compassionate

SOLUTIONS

by Brooke Ezzo

Each year, 6-8 million cats and dogs enter animal shelters throughout the United States. Due to low adoption rates, most of these animals never nd a forever home. Animal shelters are forced to cope with excessive animal intake through euthanasia. e Texas Coalition for Animal Protection knows that this problem is rooted in pet overpopulation and this is where they focus on making a di erence.

“The answer to stopping euthanasia starts with prevention,” says TCAP Executive Director, Stacey Schumacher. The Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP) provides compassionate solutions to overpopulation and improving community animal welfare. TCAP

overpopulation and to lower euthanasia rates in local shelters and has been a leader in animal welfare since its formation in 2002. As a Denton

prices for preventative animal care throughout North Texas. TCAP’s sole mission is to keep pet ownership affordable for families so that pets remain in their homes. In 2020 alone, TCAP’s caring and highly skilled veterinar team spayed and neutered more than 63,000 dogs and cats. Since founding, TCAP has sterilized more than 577,000 North Texas animals and vaccinated more than one million against the deadly rabies virus. TCAP’s ultimate goal is to substantially reduce animal overpopulation and euthanasia throughout North Texas. Spaying and neutering pets is the most effective and humane way to reduce animal overpopulation. In addition to reducing euthanasia rates, accessible and affordable spays and neuters also improve community animal welfare by decreasing the many problems linked to overpopulation, including malnutrition, abandonment, and neglect.

“The staff was very friendly and professional. The whole process was quick and simple. I will continue to use Texas Coalition for Animal Protection for my vet pet needs.” -Jessica O.

TCAP currently operates standalone clinics in Denton, Fort Worth, Burleson, Hurst, Garland, Allen, Weatherford and Arlington, but chances are that TCAP is never far from your home with one of their MASH-style travel clinics. “We understand that people have jobs and cannot always make the drive to one of our main clinics, so we make ourselves available throughout DFW at local animal shelters and community centers,” says Schumacher.

In addition to providing an invaluable service to pet owners, the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection strives to provide its support to animal shelters and rescue organizations. “We truly value these institutions for their contribution to their communities. We want to be there to help make their rescued animals more adoptable and improve the number of animals they can help as a result,” say Schumacher. TCAP’s Executive Director goes on to state that the combination of reducing animal overpopulation and increasing adoption rates can actually lower the cost of cityfunded programs and in turn lower the cost to North Texas taxpayers.

If you have a pet that you would like to get sterilized, scheduling an appointment is easy. You can call TCAP at 940-566-5551 or visit their website at www.texasforthem.org and click “Appointment Scheduling.” Prices for sterilization begin as low as $35.00. Annual vaccinations for a dog or cat can be purchased for $25 on a walk-in basis from 9am-noon on select weekdays at all eight TCAP locations and 10am-noon at all travel locations. North Texans can learn more by visiting TCAP’s website at texasforthem.org.