Elder Pet Care helps Fort Collins seniors and their furry friends stay together

Bear seemed to know he was among friends.

Blind with cataracts brought on by diabetes, the 12-year-old Labrador mix stared ahead blankly and whined a little as Dr. Tracy Thomas slipped a needle into a vein in his leg to draw blood for a test.

Bear gave Thomas a quick lick and wagged his long tail as she finished tending to him and appeared to be at ease in the busy examination room at Elder Pet Care in north Fort Collins.

Thomas and the nonprofit Elder Pet Care have served seniors and their furry friends for 25 years. The service operates out of an old, yellow house at 909 N. College Ave. that was converted into a veterinary clinic.

Thomas runs her business, Thomas Veterinary Services, out of the clinic as well as Elder Pet Care. The two entities are intertwined, she said.

Funds donated to the nonprofit let Thomas provide discounted services to customers aged 60 and older. Fees are charged on a sliding scale based on income.

“They can’t exist without each other,” she said.

The service is a godsend for seniors with limited means or on fixed incomes, said Nancy Dey, who has brought her pets to see Thomas for about seven years.

DUGGAN: How to help Fort Collins nonprofits on Colorado Gives Day

Dey recently brought in her 16-year-old short-hair Chihuahua Penelope for a checkup. Penelope has a heart murmur and has been coughing a lot lately.

Thomas prescribed medication that should help Penelope feel better and recommended getting an X-ray to understand what’s going on with her.

Finding affordable health care for pets is a challenge in Fort Collins, Dey said.

“It’s difficult when you want to take care of your pet and yet you don’t have the finances for it,” she said. “I honor her for being willing to make affordable care. It’s a choice. It’s a sacrifice on her part.”

Thomas has leased the North College location for 12 years. Ownership of the property changed about a year ago.

The new landlord has indicated Thomas may renew her lease come October, but at a higher rent. Thomas said she hopes to keep the practice and nonprofit going as long as possible.

“I’m not ready to retire,” she said.

Thomas is a 1984 graduate of Colorado State University’s veterinary school. She established Elder Pet Care in 1994 as a way to help seniors keep and care for their animals.

For many seniors, pets provide companionship and affection, which in turn supports the emotional and physical well-being of the seniors.

Originally, Thomas ran the nonprofit out of her house and would visit clients in their homes. But given the ever-increasing traffic in Fort Collins and the time needed to get around town, that model is not feasible, she said.

Clients come from Greeley, Johnstown, Loveland and other Northern Colorado locations to take advantage of Elder Pet Care’s services.

SEEKING SHELTER: Fort Collins nonprofit tries to ease housing crunch

Kitty Greenlee of Greeley regularly brings Maggie, her 10-year-old Chihuahua, to Thomas for blood sugar tests. She said the clinic provides good care without insisting on performing expensive tests and treatments.

Greenlee said Thomas reminds her of an old-time country doctor.

“She does what needs to be done without going crazy,” Greenlee said. “That’s what I like about her.”

Elder Pet Care is open afternoons Monday through Friday for walk-in business and appointments. Mornings are reserved for surgeries and other procedures.

The nonprofit works with more than 3,600 clients. In addition to medical services, it offers pet food and other supplies and assistance in pet adoption.

The cramped clinic gets busy, depending on the weather and the ability of clients to get there. Veterinary students from CSU assist Thomas with her work.

Bear’s owner, Linda Wells, said Thomas is her “hero” for helping Bear survive along with a cat she had that suffered with tumors. She also appreciates the discounted cost of services.

“I love her,” she said. “And she likes the pets better than us anyway … The only time I’ve seen her be mean is when you don’t take care of your pets.”

Kevin Duggan is a senior columnist and reporter.

Want to help?

For more information on Elder Pet Care, visit elderpetcare.org online or call 970-493-2657.