IRVING, Texas
Canine Companions for Independence national board of directors has chosen veterinarians from each of the organization’s six regions to receive the first annual Health Services Award. The South Central Region, with a campus located in Irving, Texas, chose Drs. Chelly and Joe Quinn of Town East Galloway Animal Clinic in Mesquite, Texas.
Drs. Chelly and Joe Quinn have been part of the Canine Companions® community since long before a Texas facility was planned. They began as volunteer puppy raisers in 1998 to a yellow Labrador/golden retriever cross named Dee. Although Dee would ultimately be released from the program and be adopted back by the Quinn family, it is said that this puppy was laying the ground work for many years later when the Canine Companions South Central Region would come to fruition.
In mid-2015, the Canine Companions at Baylor Scott & White Health – Kinkeade Campus was preparing to open its doors and take in the first group of future assistance dogs. This meant we needed to identify local veterinarians willing to help care for up to 100 dogs per year and provide services at a discounted rate. Drs. Chelly and Joe quickly jumped at the opportunity.
Drs. Chelly and Joe drive from their clinic in Mesquite regularly to do regular checks on each Canine Companions dog as well as phone consults, day or night. Not only do Drs. Chelly and Joe provide general care and treatment, they also went through special PennHip training and certification to be able to perform the hip and elbow x-rays that are done on each dog that enters training. At $600 per dog, this alone saves Canine Companions a minimum of $50,000 per year.
Dr. Chelly and Dr. Joe’s dedication to ensure all Canine Companions dogs receive the best medical care is a tremendous part of our ability to provide expertly-trained assistance dogs to those in need free of charge. Their onsite support of our dogs not not only impacts Canine Companions financially, but it also means more time for the dogs to train and work with the staff.
“Joe and I like to say that when things become personal your passion tends to intensify, and that is exactly what our Canine Companions dog, Dee, did for us,” says Dr. Chelly Quinn. “She was so incredible that we truly know the gift these dogs provide, and we are honored to play a role in helping them all get to their lifelong companions. They are fun and so compliant to work with that it makes our job easy. Canine Companions for Independence is a first-class organization from top to bottom and we are happy to help in any way.”
We commend these outstanding veterinarians and thank them for all they do for Canine Companions.
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Canine Companions for Independence is a national nonprofit organization that provides expertly-trained assistance dogs to children, adults and military veterans with disabilities, completely free of charge. Learn more at canine.org.
Town East Galloway Animal Clinic is a family owned full-service veterinary medical facility, located in Mesquite, TX. The professional and courteous staff at Town East Galloway Animal Clinic seeks to provide the best possible medical care, surgical care and dental care for their highly-valued patients. Learn more at tegacvet.com.
Courtney Craig, 214-259-4658
