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Commissioners, shelter director say Pahrump shelter still lacks in-house clinic; officials cite veterinarian shortage and capacity limits
Summary
Pahrump shelter directors and commissioners discussed continued lack of an in-house veterinary clinic three years after the new shelter opened, citing a national veterinarian shortage, shelter capacity constraints and costs of outsourced vet services.
Pahrump animal advocates and county officials discussed the persistent lack of an in-house veterinary clinic at Nye County's Pahrump shelter during public comment and manager remarks on Aug. 26. The shelter opened in August 2022 with a promised clinic space, but officials said the clinic has not become operational because of inspection and staffing issues and the county's limited shelter capacity.Jason Mann, founder and CEO of the Pahrump Animal Protection Association, told commissioners the public was promised an in-house clinic tied to the $4 million shelter project and that outsourcing veterinary procedures has been costly and inconsistent. "With all the money being spent to outsource vet care, we could build a brand new clinic," Mann said, adding that higher local veterinary costs and difficulty finding contracted veterinarians have made operations more expensive.Shelter manager Christy Siegmund responded that the lack of a clinic is not for lack of effort. "Nationally, we are seeing a shortage of veterinarians," she said. She said the shelter currently uses local veterinarians for emergencies and contracts with Las Vegas providers for spay-neuter load when needed. Siegmund provided operational statistics to the board, saying that over the previous 45 days the shelter recorded 173 placements, 254 impounds and maintained about 142 animals in the shelter, more than 70% of whom were available for adoption. The shelter reported 34 citations and 26 warnings issued by animal-control officers in a recent month.Discussion and next steps: Commissioners and staff discussed the need for more adoptions and increased community support so the interior clinic space can be converted and used. Commissioner John Koenig said the clinic was planned for in-house construction but that the shelter needs placements cleared before the space can be used for clinic operations. "Until we get some of the animals out of the shelter ... we can't do anything," Koenig said. Commissioners urged continued recruitment for veterinary partners and greater community adoption efforts.
