With a passion for animals, Bob Christiansen and Dr. Amy Orlin wanted to help struggling families afford care for their pets.
“We care about animals and want to provide critical veterinary services for animals whose owners are financially struggling. These are good people who are just going through some hard times,” said Christiansen, president of WellPet Humane.
The veterinarians opened a pet charity veterinary clinic, WellPet Humane, in Chamblee in 2008. The organization aims to provide critical veterinary services for animals whose owners are financially struggling while continuing to be a spay-neuter resource. In 2008, pet owners who could not afford to take their pets to veterinarians comprised 20-25 percent of the market, and rose to 40-45 percent in the recent years.
Myrle Human found WellPet when his beloved Pomeranian, 11-year-old Bear, was attacked by another dog. “The surgery came to $2,000 and we simply could not afford that,” said Human, who lives on a limited income due to his and his wife’s disabilities. “We got referred to WellPet and they saved Bear’s life.”
Through the clinic’s LifeSaver Fund and low cost services plan that assesses payment upon factors such as income qualifications, Human paid $260 for Bear’s surgery.
“If the pet is in a life-threatening situation, we won’t turn them away,” said Orlin. The clinic also provides medications, vaccinations, and hygiene care at affordable costs to ensure pets remain healthy.
The clinic is expanding and now fundraising to open the WellPet Humane Animal Welfare Campus that hopes to provide more animals and their families discounted veterinary services. Volunteers are always needed at the clinic in various roles to help WellPet provide the best care for its patients, or help towards the fundraising for the LifeSaver Fund, welfare campus, or the clinic as a whole.
Orlin added, “Pets are members of the family. We have to be their voice and be there for them, just like they are there for us.”
For more information on WellPet Humane, visit wellpethumane.com.
In other news: The Cedar Club of Atlanta Foundation raised $75,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at its inaugural Magic Carpet Ride Gala held on Sept. 30 at The Fox Theatre. The Cedar Club of Atlanta is a century-old social heritage organization comprised of Americans of Lebanese and Syrian descent.
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