ROANOKE (WSLS10) - A Roanoke spay and neuter clinic is trying to operate following the death of its main veterinarian. The loss of Dr. Matt Ellis prompted Mountain View Humane to close its doors to allow workers time to grieve and find someone to fill the position.
It's often said, people get into the veterinary field for the love of the animals, which is how staff at the clinic described Ellis.
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"We had a transfer of a female collie who was having trouble giving birth and he essentially jumped in and saved her life," said veterinarian Gabriel Mills.
But, with the passing of Ellis, the clinic faced unanticipated financial challenges as it was closed for seven days in both Christiansburg and Roanoke.
"There were also legal things we had to take care of with the Virginia Veterinary Board and with the DEA," said the center's assistant director Corrie Prater. "We had to get new licenses and had to name a new vet in charge. All the legalities that in a situation like this you don't really want to think of, but you have to in order to get business back going."
During that time frame, management said the center lost a total of $25,000. That expense includes staff earnings, facility operations, the change of veterinarian in charge and clinic DEA licenses, which are all needed to operate and order medication.
"Going through the whole process of getting re-licensed was an extremely time-consuming and expensive processes," said Prater. "Thousands of dollars go into a piece of paper to run your clinic and for a small non-profit like Mountain View whose budget was set a year in advance, a hit like this is devastating."
The shelter has also seen a drop in the number of surgeries per day. Before Ellis' passing, vets were performing 35 procedures a dayy, now it's down to about 25.
With the loss in revenue, the shelter is asking for donations to help continue to provide low-cost spay and neuter surgeries. If you are interested in helping, visit http://www.mountainviewhumane.org/.