SOUTH LOOP — Data suggests that dog ownership is on the rise in the South Loop — but the team at the South Loop Animal Hospital doesn't need numbers to know that.
Since they opened up shop five years ago at 1640 S. Michigan Ave., co-founder Dr. Dan Sanchez says the neighborhood has exploded with activity and increased tenancy in retail and residential spaces that were vacant in 2009. With the influx of people has come a spike in the number of dogs and cats in need of care.
"Over the course of these five years, what's been nice is seeing people that came to us right when we opened with their puppies, and their dogs and cats are now 5 years old," Sanchez said. "Some of them unfortunately are already experiencing some conditions that require more constant care, that has been something that we've really enjoyed — working with these owners over the course of that animal's entire life."
In that time, Sanchez says he and his staff have become experts in the South Loop-specific ailments that can strike the neighborhood's dogs and cats.
"On the North Side, I think we had a lot more patients that lived in single-family homes and had yards, and were let out in yards for the most part," Sanchez said. "The South Loop's a little different. I think the overwhelming majority of people live in condominiums or townhomes and don't have much of a yard, so we find that there's a lot more interactions between dogs in the South Loop than there was on the North Side."
As a result, South Loop dogs are exposed to more infectious diseases than less social pets.
"Preventative care becomes more important when you have such a high concentration of animals interacting," he said. "Kennel cough is a common upper respiratory illness that we see ... especially [in] dogs that go to dog parks and doggie day care. We also see a lot of vomiting and diarrhea caused by parasites and infectious disease."
Most South Loop cats live indoors full time, Sanchez said, which significantly lengthens their life spans.
Sanchez opened the South Loop practice with partner Maria Manrique after the pair met working at a clinic on the North Side.
"We had been looking at areas of the city that seemed to be underserved with vet care," Sanchez said. "At the time we had been looking at some other areas of the city where other veterinarians kind of came in and opened up before we could. But I'm grateful to them that they did, because it's been such a blessing that we kind of landed in the South Loop. It's just been such a tremendous experience to grow with this community."
The hospital is fully-equipped to handle all medical needs for dogs and cats including emergency treatment, though Sanchez says their focus is on preventative care.
To celebrate their anniversary and thank the community for five years of business and support, the clinic will host an open house Saturday from 4-8 p.m. The event will include a drawing for door prizes an a scavenger hunt with rewards for each participant who completes it, tours of the facility, and light snacks.
They're also launching an occasional free lecture series on pet care, starting with a lesson on canine behavior, which Sanchez said will tackle "anxiety issues, fear-based issues, and how to behave at the dog park." Information on the seminar series will be posted on the clinic's website.
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