Fido gets a helping hand

Since the recession, veterinarian Lori Pasternak said she has seen an increasing number of people who say they can’t afford to treat their pets, especially when it comes to surgery.

“Person after person says, ‘I just can’t do it,’ and then they have to live with themselves because they feel guilty,” said Pasternak.

“As a vet, I have to sleep at night thinking about their poor pet and how I’m not going to help it because people won’t pay me.”

But Pasternak has found a way to help.

She will soon leave the Woodman Road clinic she has worked at for the past 11 years to start her own surgery-only practice in Carytown, called Helping Hands.

Pasternak is building out the former Dogma space, a pet store and grooming salon that moved across the street this year. She has recruited her surgical technician Jackie Morasco to come work for her and hopes to open by the end of the year.

Helping Hands will offer surgeries at prices lower than other clinics and in some cases offer free surgery in exchange for community service.

“I sat down and figured out what the actual costs would be and figured out how much I need to live and support my family and that’s how I came up with the prices,” said Pasternak, who received her veterinary degree from Virginia Tech.

Most other vets charge by the hour, plus additional charges for anesthesia, antibiotics and other surgical supplies. At Helping Hands, the prices are preset for each procedure and are all-inclusive, except for blood work, which is optional depending on the age of the pet.

Most of the surgeries at Helping Hands are priced between $100 and $700. A list of prices and procedures is on the website. At other clinics, some procedures can cost thousands of dollars, especially when complications occur.

An additional $5 is added to each procedure that goes to a fund for people who are in dire financial situations and cannot afford to pay for surgery.

“In exchange for the money I give them, they have to donate time. A minute for every dollar,” said Pasternak. She said those clients can either volunteer at Helping Hands or another rescue organization.

Her intention isn’t to undercut other veterinarians but rather to provide an alterative when their clients can’t afford to pay.

“If the client says they can’t afford it, then the vet has three options. The vet can decide to do it cheaper, he can let the pet go untreated, or refer to me,” said Pasternak. “If people can afford their own vet, I want them to do it.”

Pasternak can keep her prices low because she doesn’t have the costs associated with running a full-service clinic that does check-ups and vaccinations. She also has a leaner staff, just her and the technician, but hopes to add another surgeon sometime in the future.

Al Harris covers retail for BizSense. He has a healthy Jack Russell terrier named Rocket. Please send news tips to Al@richmondbizsense.com.