Well equipped veterinary hospital caters to pets' needs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When the veterinarians of Jakarta's Pet Hospital
\nin Ragunan, South Jakarta, decided to put Astor, an ailing,
\nhandicapped Doberman, to sleep, the facility's kennel boys got
\nangry, protested and cried.<\/p>\n
\"It's a common sight here, employees crying because an animal
\nthey have been taking care of has died. So, it's not only the
\nowner of the animal who feels sad. All of us we feel sad too,\"
\nsaid the director of Rumah Sakit Hewan Jakarta (Jakarta Pet
\nHospital) Wiwiek Bagdja W.<\/p>\n
The debate on euthanasia to end the sufferings of human beings
\nis still lingering, but the pet hospital has set its policy.<\/p>\n
\"Well, as veterinarians, we have to be able to suggest the
\nbest solution. We know it's painful to put a pet to 'sleep', but
\njust imagine if it is an old dog which has untreatable cancer.
\nIsn't it too cruel if we let it live in pain?\" Wiwiek argued.<\/p>\n
Consequently, it is quite a common sight here to see pet
\nowners hold tightly onto their pets to say goodbye with tears in
\ntheir eyes. And if the pet has been at the hospital a long time,
\nthe employees, who have been fond of it, usually weep as well.<\/p>\n
\"And, usually it is not only the owners or employees here who
\nfeel attached to an animal. The animals taken care here too
\nsometimes are very fond of us,\" Wiwiek revealed, adding that a
\ndog may become fond of a particular kennel boy, veterinarian, or
\neven a security guard.<\/p>\n
Whitney, a local breed dog, for instance, was fond of Wiwiek
\nherself. Everyday, during the time when the animals taken care of
\nin the hospital were supposed to take a walk, Whitney usually ran
\nto Wiwiek's office and rested under her table.<\/p>\n
\"If the door was closed, she would scratch and push it to
\nenter to the room,\" Wiwiek recalled.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Pet Hospital, owned by Sapta Nawawi Bhakti and
\nmanaged by PT Pramukarti Semesta, is managed under the
\ncooperation of Jakarta's local authorities, the association of
\nIndonesian Veterinarians and the Veterinary Department of Bogor's
\nInstitute of Agriculture. It opened late in 1993 as the first of
\nits kind in the city in response to the demand of pet lovers.<\/p>\n
There are around 150 private-practice veterinarians in the
\ncity, with has a human population of nine million.<\/p>\n
\"The 150 private-practice veterinarian offices are not
\nadequate to meet the demand. Currently, there are more and more
\npeople who keep pets. Maybe it is related to the fact that people
\nhave fewer children now. So, to fulfill their need for
\naccompaniment, they keep pets,\" Wiwiek said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the idea that an animal hospital, or a
\nveterinarian, caters only to rich people who have pedigreed dogs
\nof foreign breeds is not true at all, she added.<\/p>\n
Those who come to the hospital to have their pets checked and
\ntreated are from every walk of life. A great range of pets are
\nbrought to the hospital, including local and foreign breed dogs
\nand cats, rabbits, monkeys, birds and pet chickens of the ayam
\nbekisar and ayam kate breeds. Lately, due to the fact that
\npeople's interest in keeping exotic pets, such as iguanas and
\nsnakes has risen, the hospital has to serve these new kinds of
\npatients as well.<\/p>\n
The establishment of the hospital was also a response to an
\nappeal made by former Jakarta governor Wiyogo to convert the
\ncapital into a \"service city\" where all kinds of services can be
\nfound.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the hospital has to take care of wild animals, such
\nas a white tiger from Ragunan zoo, which is located in the
\nneighborhood.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Pet hospital has complete facilities for taking care
\nof all kinds of animals. It has X-ray equipment, a computerized
\nlaboratory, surgery facilities, a special room for pets, which
\nhave problems in delivering their young, a special kitchen for
\nproviding the pet's food and two ambulances. It also has 10
\nclinic veterinarians and dozens of kennels boys who are in charge
\nof the care of each animal there. A pet shop and a pet cemetery,
\nlocated in front of the hospital, are also available.<\/p>\n
With the services offered, no wonder it is not only Jakartans
\nwho bring their pets to the hospital, which is open from 9 a.m.
\nto 9 p.m. daily. People from all over Java and even some other
\nislands bring their ailing pets to this Jakarta veterinarian
\nfacility.<\/p>\n
\"And because we are cooperating with the veterinarians'
\nassociation, we also have special rooms where training for
\nveterinarians is provided. It is time to enhance the veterinary
\nsciences, and we want this hospital to help produce better
\nveterinarians, who specialize in pets,\" Wiwiek told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
She said that for 25 years Indonesia has emphasized veterinary
\nsciences for cattle or food animals in accordance with the
\ncountry's program to develop human resources through better
\nnutrition. As a result, the pet veterinary sciences have been a
\nlittle neglected. \"It is time to catch up,\" she said. (als)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/well-equipped-veterinary-hospital-caters-to-pets-needs-1447893297",
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