Your Veterinarian in the Community
A Message from Doctors Dan & Sally Nowland
As dedication to family is a driving value that underlies Springtown Veterinary Hospital, so too is our dedication to the communities of San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Wimberley, and New Braunfels.
We understand that in order for our practice to thrive and for our doctors and staff to grow as individuals, it is important that we look beyond the walls of our practice and give something back to the communities we serve. Our volunteer work and financial contributions ensure that we continually look forward and are focused outwardly.
The centerpiece of our efforts is the work we do with Down Home Ranch in memory of our daughter Kelly. She was born with Down syndrome and passed away as an infant from complications after heart surgery. We will always miss her, but our work to help support the Ranch allows us to keep Kelly's memory alive as well as see the incredible effect of the human/animal bond on people with a range of disabilities.
The Ranch is a working farm and ranch that provides a home to 40 adults and children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. The Ranch also hosts summer residential camps for people with disabilities. Among the work we've done over the years to support the Ranch, each March 19th, Kelly's birthday, we would vaccinate the animals and perform annual exams. We also built a gazebo at the Ranch, dedicated to our daughter's memory. Kelly's gazebo provides shelter and a meeting place for the residents of Down Home Ranch.
We also provide support for LiveOak. This is a residential community just south of San Marcos that provides personalized support for adults with cognitive disabilities. Again, our work here serves the memory of our daughter Kelly and allows us to leverage the power of the human/animal bond to help improve the lives of others.
The doctors and staff of Springtown Veterinary Hospital also believe it is important for us to share our veterinary knowledge and resources with the community, especially for animals in need. To this end, we work closely with the San Marcos Animal Shelter (SMAS). When a pet is adopted at the shelter, it first comes to our hospital to receive a complete physical exam, treatment for internal parasites, test for heartworm disease (dogs) or feline leukemia/AIDS, implant a lost pet microchip ID, vaccinate for rabies, and spay or neuter the pet. Payment for these services comes out of the adoption fee paid by the new owner. This agreement has been very successful at helping SMAS use its funding effectively while ensuring the continued good care of a newly adopted pet.
We are also very active with the Dachshund Rescue of Central Texas. This is a network of weenie dog lovers who provide foster care for dachshunds that become homeless for a variety of reasons. We work with the foster owners to provide medical care to the dogs until a permanent home is found.
Springtown Veterinary Hospital also works extensively with PALS (Prevent a Litter) of Central Texas. This is a non-profit organization that provides vouchers to low income families to have their pets spayed or neutered. We accept the vouchers as payment in full. We also encourage vaccines, intestinal parasite testing and treatment, and heartworm testing and treatment. These services are provided at greatly reduced prices for PALS pets. This program has been very successful when coupled with grant money that is periodically provided by the Department of Human Health Services of the State of Texas.
Our hospital also hosts a booth each year at PetFest, the annual fundraiser for PALS. We typically donate products and services for the auction and highlight a particular health issue at our booth. We provide free pet goodies, informational brochures (distributed by friendly staff members), and cute dogs to pet.
In all that we do, we are proud of the support we provide our communities in volunteer hours and financial contributions.