FFF Veterinary Hospital
We are very excited to share that conversations and planning over the last year are starting to come to fruition. In the coming months we will be bringing veterinary care HOME to FFF! We are building a veterinary hospital right here at Frosted Faces Foundation!
When we first started Frosted Faces Foundation our goal was to break down the primary barrier to senior pet adoption - daunting veterinary expenses. We perform senior blood panels and x-rays on every incoming Frosted Face. We treat their conditions and place Frosted Faces in families with as little financial burden and unknowns as possible. Then, we cover lifelong medical expenses and medication for seniors with chronic diseases at partnering veterinary practices. Families of healthier dogs, or those who live out of the area, choose to use their family practices and receive a $500/year grant toward major medical expenses.
The goal is, and always has been, to simply help special families who choose Frosted Faces the best we can to increase senior pet adoption! Our on-site hospital will be open to Frosted Faces who live at Frosted Faces Foundation, all FFF adopters, and fosters for FREE! We will not be open to the public, but will be able to refer Frosted Funding applicants on a case by case basis.
Why does FFF need an on-site veterinary hospital?
1. Cost Savings
Our primary partnering practices, San Diego Bay Animal Hospital and College Animal Hospital, have done incredible medicine on our Frosted Faces for the last 7 years at a deeply discounted rate. We understand they have business expenses to cover too. With our own on-site non-profit hospital we can discount those prices even more to stretch your dollars for the Frosted Faces by providing more comprehensive medicine and rescuing more Frosted Faces!
In the year 2020 we spent $783,906.46 on veterinary expenses and medication for hundreds of Frosted Faces. If we had an operational veterinary hospital in year 2020, those same expenses plus staffing and after purchases/contracts for permanent in-house equipment would have cost FFF $308,825.09.
2. Timely Prioritized Care
Although the pandemic has made timely veterinary care even more challenging across the nation, we do compete for appointments with privately owned animals while continuing to rescue. Unfortunately, many Frosted Faces we rescue require extensive immediate medical attention, while other Frosted Faces need continuing rechecks for chronic senior conditions. We are looking forward to veterinary care where our Frosted Faces can be prioritized and critical cases can be triaged in our own backyard.
3. Improved Professional/FFF Family Relationship
We currently have all of our exam fees waived at partnering hospitals, however, that is with the understanding that staff only communicates with the organization to approve the treatment plan and estimate. Understandably, their time is precious and mixed messages can cause a headache!
FFF adopters are lifelong families to our Frosted Faces and we feel it is important that they get to spend time with veterinary staff directly asking questions to understand diagnostics, results, and medications. We will be able to offer this direct communication since the veterinarians will be representatives of the organization, which will help the FFF families provide better care for our Frosted Faces and feel more supported.
Frosted Faces along with past, present, and future FFF families can look forward to a full service hospital that provides:
Wellness exams
Vaccines
Bloodwork
Cytologies
Digital X-rays
Ultrasound
Minor and Major Soft Tissue Surgeries
Dental Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Integrative Therapies
Critical Care
We have included very preliminary plans for you!
We have you to thank! Thank you for being behind each senior we rescue through networking to get them out of the shelter and having faith in us to take care of them. Thank you for your contributions to get them the medical care they deserve and temporary roof to live beneath full of love. Thank you for referring and cheering on the extraordinary families who step up for Frosted Faces. Let's continue to change and improve how people view and care for senior pets.
Meet our Veterinarian!
We are thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Neil Russell, our new veterinarian at Frosted Faces Foundation!
Dr. Russell received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College, London, England, where he was born and raised.
While always having a love for animals, Dr. Russell came to veterinary medicine a little later in life following something of an epiphany, while working in an unrelated, albeit, successful career as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor. Dr. Russell also holds degrees in Quantity Surveying and Law.
Dr. Russell's main area of interest is not-for-profit/shelter medicine (surprise!) and has spent time working in India, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize at spay/neuter and wild animal charity organizations.
He enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, but especially enjoys internal medicine, dermatology, ultrasound, and helping awareness of preventative healthcare, to promote good health and quality of life in his patients.
Dr. Russell is married to his wife, Jenn, who is also a veterinarian, working in marine animal rescue and rehabilitation. They have one young daughter, Sadie, a rescue chiweenie called Archie, and Charlie Brown, their previously stray cat whom they nursed back to health following a hit by car accident. In their free time, they love to travel and enjoy everything San Diego has to offer, including the many ocean-related activities, from surfing to sailing.
Dr. Russell described his new role as a "dream job," and we can’t wait for him to meet all of the special FFF families, volunteers, and dive into the cases of our Frosted Faces!
Shhh! Keep it Soft!
We have had a soft opening of our veterinary hospital so we can start helping Frosted Faces NOW! We have prepared areas inside our existing facility to begin practicing medicine immediately on our Frosted Faces. This will be a great way for us to ease into this transition by establishing protocols, getting accustomed to cases, and making sure we have all of the inventory that we need!
Andy has been doing a little construction. All of our accounts have been established, lab machines have been installed, and medication and supplies have been delivered. We have our very own x-ray and ultrasound machines too! We will not have a surgical suite until the new building is in place, so we will continue to refer surgeries to Anicira Veterinary Center. If you have a Frosted Face in your care and need an appointment, email us!
