Douglas County Low Cost Veterinary Services

I dont know what went on before but as of 2017 I have took my dog and cat to the low cost vet and never had any problems. All the staff, assistance, and vet were awesome. It was very obvious they care about people and their pets. One stayed with my dog before and after surgery petting and reassuring her as she was really nervous and scared. The thrift store they have next door is a great idea to raise money, and all clothes are washed, mended and ironed before being put out. I really believe they go above and beyond in their care of animals, and I would recommend them to any pet owner.

UPDATE!
From The News Review July 21, 2015:
Douglas County Low Cost Veterinary Services lost all but one employee and its entire board of directors last week. A new board and new staff have taken their places at the clinic.

Most notably, founder Julia Russill has returned to the clinic after being let go last month. She has a considerable amount of work ahead, she said.

The clinic offers low or sometimes no-cost animal services to almost 6,000 clients in Douglas County who can’t afford care at the for-profit pet hospitals in the region. This clinic has been operating at a deficit for some time, relying on donations and grants to continue, according to various sources.

The clinic is in debt about $25,000. In 2013, GuideStar reported the nonprofit was operating $12,858 over budget. GuideStar doesn’t have more recent numbers.

The nonprofit’s stewardship council, which oversees the board, asked three of the five board members to step down last week. The other two members resigned.


The old board of directors will give way to Will Wagar, Karen Lindsey and Julia Russill. Russill was originally the executive director and founded the nonprofit, but she was let go last month by the same board that is now leaving.

Rumors circulated that the clinic was closing last week. Though there were plans for it to close until July 27 during the restructuring, now that Russill is in charge, plans have changed.

“The clinic is not closing,” Russill said. “We’re forging on.”

Russill called the changing of the guard “a breath of fresh air.”

“I want to rebuild the clinic in a positive way and get the clinic back to serving this community,” Russill said. “This has been a pretty incredible ride.”

Russill’s plans include bringing back the weekend emergency pet hospital, but the plans have their skeptics.

One is Julie Zuver, who recently resigned from the board and from her position as the acting director.

She said she’s seen the nonprofit struggle while Russill has been at the helm.

“She started something that is very, very needed in this community,” Zuver said. “But she hasn’t been very successful at making it work so far.”

Though involved parties disagree on how to run the clinic, the services it provides are essential, since it has spayed and neutered an average of 2,000 animals a year and provided free services to homeless individuals who own pets, as well as a free food bank for pets.

Veterinarian doctors Ilana Levinson and Kate McInnis have returned to work for the clinic.


This clinic used to be a very well run and friendly place. Something happened somewhere around the summer of 2015. Most all staff is new. None of them know what they are doing. They tell you one thing or price then change it. They out and out lied on my dog's records. There used to be a surgeon there who was the best there is. Now they can't hardly even get any vets in there; some of them act like they never went to veterinary school. If you question them on something they told you or quoted you earlier, they tell you not to come back. I don't know what changed but it has miserably gone downhill. The current vet tech there is a nasty, difficult woman to work with, and she should NOT be the one who has the final say so on everything. There is no leader. It's a shame because so many of us cannot afford full vet prices, but neither myself nor my animals will ever return there. BTW, my role was not "Client Served" but rather "Client UNSERVED."

The office staff and administration are impossible to deal with. Administration doesn't seem to administrate, and things were evidently left in the hands of the front office people. Once I spoke with the two volunteer vets I have dealt with things were okay in that department. But it seemed the front office demanded some type of obeisance, .They repeatedly told me to do opposite things, and my asking for clarity was answered with rudeness. The animal isn't doing well, just needs a prescription, which they won't give, so he will probably die. I pleaded with them for him to no avail. Evidently their anger at me, and I did nothing wrong; will cost an innocent animal his life. My bill was paid in full at time of service, so this isn't about money on my part. Other problems as well. I don't see that they follow the spirit of what they claim they are about.