Hope Care Center to open in North Fort Myers
Paying for health care alone is hard enough, but thousands of people living in Southwest Florida also are responsible for the well-being of their dogs and cats, and that can be expensive.
The Hope Care Center, an affordable veterinary clinic in North Fort Myers, will open its doors to the community Monday morning. The clinic will spay and neuter pets, carry out dental procedures and offer shot packages and heart worm treatments.
“It looks great. We’ve had wonderful people do work for us,” said Toni Kruse, manager and head tech at Hope Care Center. “The response is unbelievable, we are thrilled.”
Kruse said the center was opened by Brandi Mikolak, who operates A Barking Lot in North Fort Myers, a business that offers grooming and boarding services.
Because of the economy, many people have tried to surrender their dogs because they cannot afford pet health care, said Kruse.
“She has people constantly asking people to take their animals because they can’t afford them,” said Kruse.
As a result, Mikolak opened Hope Care Center to offer an affordable alternative with prices clearly posted on the wall. The 1,800-square-foot facility is structurally complete and aesthetically pleasing, said Kruse.
“We will do everything except for the specialty or laser surgeries,” said Kruse.
The center will host a meet-and-greet with the community from 6-8 p.m. today. Free catering was donated, and a student from South Fort Myers High will perform live music.
“We’ve been so busy doing construction and remodeling,” she said. “We found a vet willing to work with us, and he is more about helping animals than making tons of money.”
Our Hope Center is located on 893 Pondella Road, on the corner of Orange Grove Boulevard. For more information about the facility or its services, call 543-PETS.