Penticton is home to one of only four B.C. SPCA locations equipped with an animal hospital and on Friday, the facility celebrated its one year anniversary.
While Penticton Veterinary Hospital has been treating sick and injured pets for over a decade, this time last year its new operator, the B.C. SPCA, took over.
WATCH BELOW: SPCA opens first of its kind animal hospital in Okanagan
The previous owner of the hospital, Dr. Steve Harvey, was a local veterinarian who served the community for more than two decades.
He retired in 2015, but wanted to keep the legacy of the hospital alive.
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“The B.C. SPCA worked with Dr. Harvey to acquire the hospital. So the hospital is now fully operated and managed by the B.C. SPCA,” senior business manager for the B.C. SPCA, Dragana Hajdukovic said.
Over the past year, the hospital’s reach has expanded, now helping animals from communities throughout the south Okanagan.
More services have also been added such as spay and neuter clinics.
“We’ve spayed and neutered over 500 animals in the past year. We are also part of a feral cat program within Penticton to spay and neuter some of those guys out there to help them with the over population,” veterinarian, Dr. Michael Tigchelaar said.
Tigchelaar said the clinic has expanded enough to work with other animal rescue organizations in the south Okanagan like the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls and the Okanagan Humane Society.
All revenues at the B.C. SPCA clinic in Penticton go right back to the hospital.
The celebrate the one year anniversary since the SPCA’s acquisition of the hospital, it held an open house.
Watch above as Global News speaks to staff as well as those in attendance and see some of the animals that have been cared for at the clinic.
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