AURORA, Colo. — Our Denver7 Gives viewers stepped up in a big way to help an Aurora nonprofit veterinary clinic that faced financial troubles after its HVAC system broke down over the summer.
Owning a dog or cat comes with many bills, including food, pet services, and medical expenses — all of which can be extremely expensive. Pet Care Coalition opened its doors in 2020 to provide care and services for pet owners at a low cost.
Danalle Freese has been bringing her cats and dog, Malissa, to the clinic for over three years. She called Denver7 after feeling how hot it was inside the building, asking if we could help.
"Oh my goodness, when I would go in there, I mean it was so hot. So, so hot. It was unbelievable, and all I could think to myself was, 'How the heck do they work in here?'" Freese said.
The clinic's HVAC unit died over the summer, but staff did not want to divert resources to a new unit because they wanted to have supplies for the animals. Without a functioning HVAC unit, Pet Care Coalition staff was working through the summer months in 80-degree temperatures while relying on swamp coolers.
"We had one doctor almost pass out during her procedures. It was miserable," said Dr. Genieve Forster, the clinic's medical director. "We had to put some screens across the doors to keep animals safe and still get airflow. And it was really hard to continue to work. It would be hot in the exam rooms, frustrating for everybody."
The clinic was able to work with an air conditioning company to make some repairs to the HVAC unit, but clinic leadership could not afford to fully replace it.
"We had several people in looking at it, and we were getting estimates anywhere from, like, all the way up to $20,000 to fix. And there was just no way we could do that," Dr. Forster said.
Pet Care Coalition also relies on the HVAC unit for heat, meaning they may not have warmth heading into the colder months.
While the HVAC system is working now, it has been a financially challenging time. On top of the cost of the fix, the swamp coolers that were used during the summer months contributed to higher electricity bills.
"Financially, we're still reeling. So the cost of the repairs and then the cost of the extra electricity to run all of the fans, we were spending a lot more than we normally do to just keep airflow in," said Dr. Forster. "So, the holiday season, everything always slows down, dollars are tighter for everybody, so we've been really concerned about getting through until the spring when things start picking up again."
After we shared their story in October, our Denver7 viewers opened their hearts and wallets, donating $14,575 to support the clinic.
"When we started this clinic four years ago, it was a dream. And to have that dream seen and shared and appreciated and validated means so much," Dr. Forster said.
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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