New Mobile Veterinary Service to Provide Care for Local Pets

A new business based out of Coventry is setting out to provide mobile veterinary services to homes and farms in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Southeastern Massachusetts. Creature Comforts, run by Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Lindsay Thibeault and Certified Veterinary Technician Melanie Chauvette offers house and farm calls, routine surgeries, dentistry and preventative care to clients in all three states.

"We are a full service vet and we treat everything from mice to goats and sheep," said Thibeault.

Thibeault, who has practiced small animal medicine for the past seven years explained that the concept of doing house calls helps develop better relationships with clients and their pets by allowing for a non-stressful environment where the animal is comfortable and behavioral changes and symptoms can be more easily detected.

"Unfortunately, if an owner has a pet that is difficult to bring to an office, sometimes the animal doesn't get looked at until really late into the situation," she said.

She and Chauvette, who has been a technician for 12 years, began tossing ideas around for the business about a year ago and late last summer, the pieces began to fall into place.

"We happened to find a 2008 Dodge Sprinter van that had originally been converted into a grooming business," said Thibeault. "When we checked it out we realized that it would be perfect for what we wanted to do."

The van has been converted once again into a moving vet clinic, complete with a surgery table, proper lighting and X-rays. During house calls, routine check-ups will be done in the client's home and surgeries will be done in the driveway of the home.

Aside from procedures, Creature Comforts will also have some veterinary pharmaceuticals on hand, as well as access to an online pharmacy that will allow for easy ordering of medications and prescriptions as needed.

Clients will be able to receive pricing estimates via email before arranging an appointment and $10 will be taken off the first house call for each new patron.

Discounts will also be given for new puppies and kittens, multi-pet households, military clients, senior citizens and local rescue pet adoptions.

Creature Comforts will be open for appointments Tuesday/Thursday 10 a.m. to 7p.m. and Monday/Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Clients should call for Wednesday and Saturday availability and the clinic will be closed on Sunday. Daytime emergency care will also be available. The clinic can be reached at 401-626-5215 or at www.creaturecomfortsri.com

Chauvette and Thibeault both agreed that aside from their everyday appointments, they would like to eventually work with shelters and rescues as well to help local animals in need.

"We have fun doing this," said Chauvette. "We work well together and even after a long day, we're the two that will dance around the surgery room."