New animal hospital breaks ground to address increasing need
Nicole Azene will be the owner and veterinarian at the new Onalaska Animal Hospital located at 984 12th Avenue South.
“We will be providing state of the art equipment. Since we will be brand new, we will have the advantage of utilizing all of the new technology there is out there, from digital x-rays to digital dental x-rays. Also, we will have a high quality surgery suite,” Azene said.
She said over time the pet population has increased and in La Crosse County the number of households with dogs and cats has increased by 29% over the last 30 years, but the number of veterinary clinics has remained the same.
This comes at a time when there are long wait times for available appointments and a veterinarian shortage in La Crosse county. The hospital plans on recruiting from community colleges with veterinary tech programs across Wisconsin and Minnesota.
“I think its going to be a great community resource for both publicly owned and the shelter pets,” said Coulee Region Humane Society Kennel Operations Manager Amber Grosch.
The 5,000 sq. ft. state of the art Onalaska Animal Hospital is expected to open in the summer of 2022.
