Sunday, December 7, 2008

NC State University Mobile Veterinary Unit visits Hyde County NC

NC State University Mobile Veterinary Unit visits Hyde County, NC

Hyde County is a very rural area of North Carolina. For years tourism has been a great economic genitor for this county, in addition to Ocracoke Island the second tourism Mecca is Hunting on the Main Land.

Hyde Country has no veterinary services and did not have an Animal Shelter or Animal Control until Aug. 1st 2007. Now Animal Control Officer JM Eakes runs the Hyde County Animal Shelter.

 Since 1997 NC State University Mobile Veterinary Unit has provided valuable veterinary services to Hyde County, for a one week period in November of each year that coincides with the open Bear Hunting Season.

The NC State University Mobile Veterinary Unit was staffed by Kelli Ferris, Clinical Assistant Professor College of Veterinary Medicine, one Certified Veterinary Technician & (6) Six fourth year NC State University Veterinary Students. In addition to being a Veterinary Emergency Unit for the Dogs injured during hunting the NC State University Mobile Veterinary Unit provided regular veterinary service to Hyde County residents.

Services included 40 regular check-ups, wellness care & annual Rabies and Vaccination shots. There were 11 spay & neuters, 3 county resident emergencies that included a dog with a broken tail, a dog with an abscess between the eyes, and a dog with a broken toe due to a lawn mower accident. There was also a horse with EIA Equestrian Infectious Anemia. There were 5 dogs treated due to dog fights while hunting & 38 Emergency Care treatments for dogs injured during the hunt.

Blog Photo is of Ellen Sawyer, 4th year NC State University Veterinary Student & Gimpy, a Bear Hunting Dog owned by Darryl Hopkins of Columbia, NC. 

Photography by Carol at Seaside Photography

There is feature article about Gimpy in todays Sunday edition of the Fayetteville Observer "Bear Season: Mobile animal hospital comes to dog's rescue" by Todd M. Adams, Sports Editor

Bear hunting maybe a controversial subject but Hyde County depends on the revenue generated each year from this annual event that draws hunters from around the world. This Annual Event not only provides valuable veterinary service to Hyde County but provides the future NC State Veterinarians with valuable emergency experience to provide top notch veterinary care for the animals of North Carolina.