by Amanda Rink, Editor
The upcoming closure of the Goldfield Vet Clinic, shared with staff and other officials on Wednesday May 14, will create a significant gap in services for unclaimed animals in Clarion, placing strain on the already overburdened local animal rescue network.
For years, the clinic provided veterinary care at its own cost for animals picked up by the Clarion Police Department, a practice that will now end. Assistant Police Chief Bret Thompson described the resulting situation as “unfortunate,” noting that without the clinic, the department will only be able to respond to stray animals that pose a danger to public safety.
“In those cases,” Thompson explained, “the animals will be transported to the Belmond Vet Clinic for quarantine.” For other stray animals, no immediate city solution is available.
“As the weather warms up, we typically see an increase in stray animals,” Thompson added. “We’re asking residents, if they are able, to hold onto the animal temporarily until the owner is located or to contact the Humane Society of Wright County.”
The Humane Society of Wright County will try its best to fill the gap. “We have a great network of volunteers willing to help reunite pets with their people or find good homes if an animal needs rehoming,” the organization told the Monitor.
They also emphasized the importance of prevention, urging residents to spay and neuter their pets. But with one of the only affordable veterinary practices in Wright County closing its doors, concerns are expanding.
Officials have confirmed that other potential solutions are being explored, but for now, this short-term approach, relying on community assistance and the Humane Society, is the only available path forward.
The Monitor has reached out to the Goldfield Vet Clinic for comment but has not yet received a response. The clinic had partnered for at least five years with local rescue organization “Lending a Paw in Need,” operated by Mariah Busemann, to provide care and facilitate adoptions, often at a loss to them.
