Kelly James is a true animal lover. She’s become known in her neighborhood and social circles for being the person to care for strays, unwanted animals, and pets whose owners have passed. At one point, she was caring for multiple dogs and twenty cats!
So when Kelly and her family relocated from Minnesota to Arizona in 2012, they knew they needed to find a veterinarian who truly shared their love of animals. Fortunately, a neighbor recommended 1st Pet.
“One of our dogs had arthritis and we had run out of her medication. When we took her in, they wanted to run a liver test to be sure she was still okay to be on the medicine,” said Kelly. “We found out she was sick and needed liver medication. We were sold on 1st Pet at that point. No vet had ever told us that her liver could be at risk or tested for that before!”
During their move to Arizona, one of Kelly’s cats jumped from a high cabinet and landed on a cardboard box, injuring her leg. Kelly took the kitty into the 1st Pet’s urgent care, and Dr. Mumaw made a custom kitty cast to help her leg heal properly.
Over the years, the 1st Pet team has helped Kelly and her crew of pets through a cancer diagnosis, a feline calicivirus outbreak, and many other ailments.
“When one of my big dogs developed oral melanoma, we had staff members coming to our house to help administer medication. The customer service was unbelievable. 1st Pet is a group of people who really cares about animals, and that makes all the difference to me,” Kelly said.
Because Kelly cares for so many animals, it’s difficult for her to keep track of who is due for what service. She loves that 1st Pet keeps careful records and lets her know when one of her beloved pets needs a vaccination or a checkup.
Kelly also appreciates that the 1st Pet staff is willing to give pet parents hands-on training for administering fluids, medications, and temperature checks to feral babies and senior pets alike.
“Sometimes it’s very overwhelming to do a new type of care,” said Kelly. “But the 1st Pet staff walks you through it and shows you until you’re comfortable with it and you can do it on your own. They’ve even taught me how to tube feed kittens! I’ve been empowered with so much knowledge by 1stPet. They operate on a higher caliber than any other vet clinic in the valley.”
For Kelly, what stands out the most about 1st Pet is how much they care. She truly feels like she has a veterinary partner she can rely on for anything, day or night, and she loves that 1st Pet can do almost any test or procedure in-house.
“They have all of the amazing facilities to do everything you need, but it’s the people there that make all the difference,” says Kelly. “They really love taking care of animals and helping them. Anyone who asks me for a vet recommendation, I send them to 1stPet – even my plumber goes there now!”
