The top official at Lollypop Farm says there are discussions among that organization and other groups about the need to address the impending loss of a local emergency veterinary practice.
Alice Calabrese, president and CEO at Lollypop Farm, which is also the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, said on Wednesday that there are discussions underway about the recent news that Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services will be closing within the next couple of months.
The company which owns that practice, Thrive Pet Health Care, said recently that animal hospital will close no later than Nov. 27. The company cited an ongoing shortage of emergency veterinarians.
Calabrese said Lollypop Farm realizes that decision will have an impact on a number of pet owners and organizations.
“We are trying to be part of that solution, talking with a lot of entities at the county level, the city level, private practices and Cornell University, which has been a longtime partner," Calabrese said, "so I think together, we will find a good solution for that.”
Despite the fact that Cornell University’s Hospital for Animals is a 24-hour-a-day operation, Calabrese realizes that’s not a great alternative for a lot of pet owners.
“Down the road an hour is always an option, not always the answer. So it’s a very complex problem, and we would like to work with all the entities to find a solution because it’s not going to come from just one nonprofit."
Calabrese was heartened to hear from local Assemblymember Jen Lunsford on Wednesday, that Lollypop Farm will be receiving a $2.5 million state grant to put toward a $20 million expansion project at the facility.
That project includes expanding education programs throughout the county, and expanding Lollypop Farm's abilities to care for its animals.
Lunsford was accompanied by New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who has been touring a number of communities around the state this summer.
