Nancy Sharp of Animal Companions of Las Cruces speaks with KC Counts about their efforts to expand veterinary care in the region.
KC Counts:
How long has this group been working for more access to vet care in Las Cruces?
Nancy Sharp:
We have been working as a formal organization since January of 2022. However, the organization began forming in March of 2021 with a letter to the editor from our founder, Dawn Duncan. That was the core beginning of our organization.
KC Counts:
Did that letter just inspire other people of like-minded...
Nancy Sharp:
I can tell you that it certainly inspired me. I responded with another letter in response to her letter. We got together and other folks responded to her as well. And she's great at recruiting people in grocery store lines, gas station lines, and whatever, so we slowly started to gather a core group of volunteers.
KC Counts:
And here we are, just a few short years later, and you had an announcement that there's some new veterinarians coming to town. Tell me about that.
Nancy Sharp:
We are very excited about that because our major goal, our primary goal, is the recruitment of veterinarians to the area. And I'm happy to say, as you just indicated, we had six veterinarians start here this summer, new veterinarians right out of school. And we're thrilled with that. And that's the result of recruitment efforts by our board.
KC Counts:
What is the barrier? What has the barrier been for there not to be a 24-hour emergency clinic in Las Cruces?
Nancy Sharp:
That is an excellent question. I think there are several ways to respond to that. And I have my own personal thoughts. We did have a clinic, as you probably know, up until 2018. And it was manned by a lot of veterinarians out of El Paso. When that died, there were not enough interested veterinarians in our area that could coalesce, come together, and put together an emergency clinic to serve daily that need once clinics close through the morning hours. part of Dawn's efforts initially in gathering the veterinarians, and we did so, had a wonderful meeting at the city council chambers one night with veterinarians, talking with them. They began talking and discussing and also indicating, yes, there is a need for that here, but we have to get more veterinarians in the area. So, we're thinking that if we got more and more and more, we could have certain hospitals take one night, another hospital take another night, another hospital. We don't have anything firm in place, nor do the veterinarians, but once we... we get a capacity in place, we believe that we might be able to do something for 24/7. And by the way, we do have one vet, Pet 9/11, Dr. McGonigal, who is open on Saturdays and Sundays off Main Street.
KC Counts:
Tell me about the recruitment efforts to bring more veterinarians here. What are you doing?
Nancy Sharp:
We have begun focusing mainly on the WICHE schools, WICHE standing for Western Interstate Commission for Higher Ed. And part of that is the Professional Student Exchange Program, whereas students receive tuition assistance. And given that assistance, they are required, if they take that assistance, to come back to New Mexico if they are a New Mexico resident, and practice here for three years. So that is where we focused our time in and hoping to attract those veterinarians to southern New Mexico, because we're attempting to not just serve Las Cruces, and that's a primary objective, but also looking at clinics throughout the 12 counties that are in southern New Mexico. They're all in need of these services.
KC Counts:
So for the vets that just came to the community, are they being absorbed into clinics that already exist or are there any new clinics in the works?
Nancy Sharp:
Yes, they have been absorbed, and I can tell you that the veterinarians have gone to three of our clinics. They've gone to Zia, Calista, and Schumacher. And as a matter of fact, the veterinarian that ended up going to Zia was an extern there that we placed last year. And she ended up going back and taking a full-time position as a veterinarian.
KC Counts:
How will this particular, or how will these additions make a change for animals in Las Cruces?
Nancy Sharp:
I have to think, and this is my opinion, that with the addition of more veterinarians to area clinics, and hopefully, and this is my desire, these veterinarians telling their friends about the opportunities that exist here and how wonderful it is to be in Las Cruces, that we may begin expanding our recruitment efforts through the veterinarians we've already created, or recruited, sorry.
KC Counts:
And how is the work that you do funded?
Nancy Sharp:
Donations. Donations from individuals like yourself, from businesses, and from foundations. I will say that the majority of our contributions to date have been through foundations.
KC Counts:
Nancy Sharp, interim chair of Animal Companions of Las Cruces, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.
Nancy Sharp:
And I thank you.
You can learn more about Animal Companions of Las Cruces on their website .
