Paws Calls offers vet appointments in the comfort of home

May 20, 2020 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – Just in time for the stay at home advisory that was put in place in the beginning of March, one Longmeadow resident had started her own mobile veterinary practice, Paws Calls.

Kara Ryczek grew up in Longmeadow and graduated from Longmeadow High School in 1992. After graduation, she attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where she earned a BcS in biology in 1996. While she attended Trinity, she worked at a local veterinary hospital during her senior year. Following her time at Trinity, she chose Tufts University for Veterinary Medicine as her next move, and graduated with her DVM in 2001.

From there, Ryczek completed a 13-month rotating internship at VCA South Shore.

“After my internship, I worked in small animal hospitals. At these practices, I’d see routine visits, sick appointments and surgical cases once a week,” Ryczek explained. “I missed emergency work, as this was mostly what I saw during my internship, so I picked up shifts at Boston Road Animal Hospital on weekends and holidays.”

Eventually, Ryczek moved back to Longmeadow, and worked part time at the VCA Shaker Road Animal Hospital, and currently, she works at West Springfield Animal Hospital.

“I decided to open Paws Calls at the beginning of this year. I wanted to be able to help local family and friends with their pets emergencies, routine care, and overall ease of maintaining the pets health care at home,” Ryczek said.

She no longer has a routine surgical day through West Springfield Animal Hospital, as she stopped when she became pregnant with her son. However, with her new practice, she now has the opportunity to do minor procedures.

“With the mobile practice, I’m able to perform minor surgical procedures as needed. I’m seeing patients on scheduled appointments, but I am also open to fit in emergencies as needed,” Ryczek explained.

The opening of Paws Calls occurred at the beginning of 2020, and the timing “just happened to coincide with COVID-19, and the closing of many local businesses,” Ryczek said. Veterinarians are considered essential, so she has been helping a friend at her local clinic, while building Paws Calls.

Paws Calls is only seeing dogs and cats at this time. Ryczek is working by herself for now, and is using her own SUV. During the pandemic, she is asking owners to see the pets outside for dogs, and to see cats in an enclosed porch, mud room or garage. The business is currently set up for annual physical examinations, vaccinations, microchips, routine diagnostic testing, sick visits and at-home euthanasia.

Paws Calls can be reached at 617-797-3070, on her Facebook Page, Dr Paws Calls, or by email at dr.pawscalls@gmail.com.

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