Town & Country

2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018 W I N K L E R Bell Aura Bed Breakfast and Bistro 100 Year Old Church Turned B&B Incredible Ambience - Antiques and Art Throughout 77-2nd Ave. SW, Carman 204-745-6787 www.bellaura.ca AVAILABLE FOR ALL EVENTS, OCCASIONS, AND MURDER MYSTERIES TOO! 1-877-977-0007 ONE IN FOUR WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE IN A CURRENT OR PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP Genesis House Can Help A shelter for women and children in crisis South Central Committee on Family Violence, Inc. 24-Hour Crisis Line 1-877-977-0007 Bill Klassen auctioneers We Sell Land & Equipment in Manitoba www.billklassen.com bill@billklassen.com Ph. (204) 325-4433 or Cell (204) 325-6230 ROSENORT CO-OP • Groceries • Hardware • Card Lock • Post Office • Produce • Meats • Bulk Fuel Delivery 15 PR 205 East, Box 10, Rosenort Ph. (204) 746-2041 Fax (204) 746-2128 dbarna@rosenortcoop.com 204-325-8941 ROBLIN PLAZA, 1-880L 15TH STREET WINKLER, MB R6W 0H5 OFFICE: 204-331-4440 design & construct BEYOND www.winklercoop.com #coopheritage Winkler-Morden-Plum Coulee-Rosetown STRONGER TOGETHER Social Animals Health care keeps pace with pet-friendly culture BY SHARON CHISVIN W hen veterinarian Dr. Jacqueline Enns and her three busi- ness partners opened their veterinary practice in Winkler just over a dozen years ago, they had a strong inkling that there would be a great demand for their services. Winkler, after all, was on the verge of becoming the fastest growing municipality in all of Manitoba and one of the fasting growing small cities in all of Canada. One of the things the Pembina Valley city was missing, however, was its own full-service animal hospital. In February, that animal hospital, the Winkler Veterinary Clinic, became the city's newest recipient of the Winkler Chamber of Commerce business excellence award. "Our clinic was very proud to be the selected re- cipient this year," Enns says. "This is quite mean- ingful in a community such as Winkler with its robust, growing business community." Prior to opening the clinic in 2005, Enns was working as a mixed animal veterinarian at the Mor- den Veterinary Clinic. She had been there for a decade, since moving to the area after graduating with honours from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, and marrying a local farmer. As a child, she recalls, she had always dreamed of becoming a vet. "I am not sure as a kid I knew what I was getting into as I had actually never worked in a veterinary clinic, but it is an awesome career," she says. "Some days I feel like we work in a reality show," she continues. "No two days are the same, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next, which makes the days interesting and challenging." Much of that interest and challenge derives from the way in which domestic pet ownership, pet cul- ture, and veterinarian medicine in general have changed in recent years. "Our practice is a small animal clinic," Enns ex- plains. "But the repertoire of what is considered a companion animal is certainly expanding." "At our clinic we have worked on not only dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and birds, but also ferrets, potbellied pigs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, snakes, liz- ards, and squirrels, to name some others." As the diversity of companion animals has ex- panded, animal health care has changed as well. "Companion animals are certainly viewed differ- ently in North American culture than they were years ago, and this drives increased technology and procedures available for their health care." Because the animal population is living longer than ever before due to improved nutrition and health-care practices, the fields of palliative and aging health care, for example, have become commonplace dis- cussions and procedures at most vet clinics. "Natural medicine is also becoming dis- cussed on a more regular basis," says Enns. The Winkler Veterinary Clinic has kept at the forefront of these changes and new discussions by continually expanding the services it offers the approximately 5,000 clients it sees each year. The clinic now has full in-house lab services, which consider- ably decrease wait times for test results, as well as shipping costs, and in-house radiology and ultrasound equipment to improve diagnoses. It offers digital dental x-rays and other dental therapies, as well as advanced breeding services, including hor- mone testing and artificial insemination, for dogs and cats. The clinic also works in conjunction with the Canadian Animal Blood Bank to regularly sponsor blood donor clinics, and with the nearby Mor- den Veterinary Clinic to offer after-hours emergency services. As well, Enns and the clinic's other veterinarian, Dr. Jenesa Ban- man, make house calls for critically ill pets and provide at-home end of life services when necessary. They always take their time with their clients, patiently answer questions and concerns, and generously share pet ownership tips and information through their clinic newsletter and website articles and videos. Both veterinarians also are deeply com- mitted to enhancing the unique relation- ships that exist between humans and their pets, and to ensuring that Winkler Veterin- ary Clinic consistently and compassionately provides the best and most state-of-the-art health care to its diverse animal clientele. ■ Dr. Jacqueline Enns examines a patient. Below from left: Cindy Penner with team mascot Walli, Dr. Enns with Bentley, Tanya Schobert and Angela Derksen. Photos by Darcy Finley The clinic now has full in- house lab services, which considerably decrease wait times for test results, as well as shipping costs, and in-house radiology and ultrasound equipment to improve diagnoses. "Companion animals are certainly viewed differently in North American culture than they were years ago, and this drives increased technology and procedures available for their health care." – DR. JACQUELINE ENNS

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