For many of the doctors, technicians, and vets at the Columbus Small Animal Hospital, receiving the first rounds of the vaccine has been a great relief.

While COVID shuttered many doors, some even permanently, the hospital has managed to navigate the pandemic to attend to a steady stream of patients.

“My heart goes out to everybody who suffers so terrifically with all of this misery,” Jim said. “I guess perhaps it brings people closer to their animals. They can’t leave the house, and animals offer such solace and understanding.”

While business has been good during the pandemic, the nature of that business makes for unexpected avenues for possible COVID infections.

“The term is ‘fomite,’ which means an object that can transport a disease,” Jim said.

“If someone coughs or sneezes, gets some bodily fluid on a dog or a cat, then that viral particle is still sitting there. And they bring the dog here, we can get exposed to it.”

Luckily, throughout the pandemic, the clinic has no recorded a single COVID infection among its staff.

The vaccine brought Jim and his wife Ann a little closer to peace of mind, with the only cost being a sore arm.

“I took ibuprofen and I’m good to go,” Ann said. “I’m just so happy and relieved to have gotten it.”

“Going to be nice to see our local businesses thriving again. It’s been hard on them, hard on retail stores, hard on restaurants,”

Ann says the pandemic may have brought about some new pet owners to help cope with the isolation.

She was initially concerned about pets being temporary distractions for new owners, but she says the rise in pet ownership has been great for giving furry friends new, permanent homes.

“Clients are wonderful about that. They understand the importance of caring for their pets and loving them as family members,” she said.