Thirty Years Of Compassion And Care—

Mt Pleasant Hospital For Animals Celebrates A Milestone Anniversary

By Nancy K. Crevier

When Dr Brian Silverlieb hung out his shingle at 119 Mt Pleasant Road for Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals in April 1978, he fulfilled a lifetime dream of having his own veterinary practice. “From the time I was a little boy in Glastonbury and New Fairfield, I always loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian,” said Dr Silverlieb. “We had two patients my first day,” he recalled recently, “and sat around waiting for the phone to ring.”

The 1972 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine had practiced previously in New Canaan, but saw Newtown as an opportunity to build his home life and practice in a caring community. Relying on word of mouth referrals, the practice grew steadily as residents came to know the hospital by reputation. Dr Silverlieb and his one assistant made themselves available 24/7 those first years and quickly gained a following of clients who knew that Mt Pleasant Hospital of Animals stood for quality of care, and for caring. “We are so compassionate and we love animals,” said Dr Silverlieb. “I think that is a huge part of what has made us successful.”

Certainly his love of animals cannot be denied, whether it is tending to others’ pets or looking after his own menagerie of 12 chickens, eight sheep, five horses, three cats, two goats, two rats, one lovebird, and one dog, with the help of his son, Darryl.

The busy practice no longer waits for the phone to ring. Rather, keeping up with the more than 30 clients a day that rely on their expertise and desire the high standards the hospital strives to provide means multiple phones ringing off the hook around the clock. The old-fashioned colonial building exudes a welcoming warmth and belies the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of sophisticated instruments that are housed within. Coupled with the hospital’s sincere dedication to its clients’ well-being, it is Dr Silverlieb’s commitment to staying on the cutting edge of new technology that has attracted and kept patients, he believes.

The hospital boasts an intensive care unit, one of only a few in the state. The climate-controlled 10- by 6-foot unit isolates up to four seriously compromised patients, administering carefully monitored amounts of oxygen and regulating temperature and humidity. “This unit has saved animals’ lives,” said Dr Silverlieb.

Over the years the hospital has installed a complete laboratory where testing and blood work for all but the most rare cases is done. A portable dental x-ray machine, an ultrasound machine, and a tono pen for measuring intraocular pressure are all used extensively at the hospital, and laser surgery has made surgery nearly bloodless now, a far cry from when Mt Pleasant opened for practice, Dr Silverlieb pointed out.

“When I started, of course, there was no ultrasound, no laser, no dental equipment like we have today,” he said. “The technology has advanced tremendously. We also have new medicines now to manage old diseases that were once ignored and the safety of drugs has greatly improved. Pain is managed very differently today, too. Years ago, it was thought that animals did not experience pain in the same way as people, and now we know that is not true. We have the ability to manage pain and here we are big believers in that, starting with presurgery pain management to postsurgery medications to keep our clients comfortable,” explained Dr Silverlieb. Microchipping, the surgical implantation of contact information to aid in the return of lost pets, is one of the newest advancements in technology that Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals supports.

Technology has had to improve because of another change that has occurred in the years he has practiced animal medicine, said Dr Silverlieb. “Thirty years ago, animals were just moving from the yard into the house. Now, pets are moving into the bed.” As animals become members of the family rather than attractive nuisances, clients demand more and better care for their pets, and Dr Silverlieb has made it his mission for Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals to respond to those demands.

Better care meant not only medical attention, but also the addition of two services. In 1986 a full service, climate-controlled kennel, now boarding hundreds of pets every year, was added on to the building. Cat owners have the option of the “Cattel Ritz,” a cats-only facility for boarding that includes lots of toys, videos, and cat condos, and day care is available for pets that do not do well alone at home. That same year, Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals began offering grooming services, and has had a groomer on staff ever since.

The growth of the practice eventually meant taking on associates to alleviate the workload and provide quality care. “I hired my first associate after six years of going it alone,” said Dr Silverlieb. Dr Rock Vali has been with Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals for nearly six years now in that position.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Vali is an ideal fit, said Dr Silverlieb, bringing to the practice the high level of caring and dedication that is required at the hospital.

His special interest in animal reproduction has expanded the services in that area that the hospital is able to provide. “Newtown is actually a big place for dog breeders,” said Dr Vali, “but there is no reproductive veterinarian.” As breeders have come to know Dr Vali, they seek him out for his expertise in surgical breeding implants, artificial insemination, and other reproductive issues, as well as whelping and puppy care.

“Dr Silverlieb is always open to new ideas,” said Dr Vali, and has been supportive of his associate’s willingness to work with clients interested in holistic animal care. “If I find at a conference that there is a holistic product that is showing results, I will sometimes recommend it. These products can sometimes be a first step, before trying a stronger drug,” said Dr Vali.

“People want everything good for themselves and for their animals, and I think that they see they can get that here,” said Dr Vali. “It is a wonderful place to work.”

One thing that makes Mt Pleasant a “pleasant” experience for Dr Vali and for veterinarian technician Mary Simpson is the hospital’s community outreach. The hospital supports the local Canine Advocates group and the Newtown Pound, providing medical and surgical services at a deep discount. “We do a lot with the dog warden, Carolee Mason. She is the best, and has the kindest heart. It is just a real pleasure to help her,” said Dr Silverlieb.

The praise goes two ways. “They absolutely help me out 100 percent with animals I pick up that are hurt or need medical care,” said Ms Mason. She cited the instances of the badly burned Pomeranian dog that she brought in to the hospital, and more recently, a lab with a broken leg. “The doctor operated on the leg for three hours, and when it was clear that more specialized surgery was needed, they got him in to another hospital, and didn’t charge me. I am able to help animals like this because of Mt Pleasant Hospital. Usually, an animal control officer’s hands are tied [when it comes to providing medical care].”

Canine Advocates

“They have always worked very closely with us,” said Canine Advocates President Virginia Jess, referring to Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals. “When Canine Advocates was just getting started in 1999, Dr Silverlieb went to all of the meetings with us to present who we were — to the police chief, the selectmen — to get us started,” said Ms Jess. At the Canine Advocates website, the group is described as being there to further the quality of life of animals at the pound, assist in adoption, and to provide neutering, spaying, and shots for animals at the pound prior to adoption, among other services. “Mt Pleasant Hospital has always been there to help us with all of the animals, especially in the beginning when we had no budget,” Ms Jess said.

Every fall, Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals hosts a Pet Adoption Day on the premises, with representatives from the Greyhound Rescue League, the Animal Center, and the pound introducing cats and dogs — and sometimes goats and llamas — to perspective owners. “We take in a lot of adoptees, and try to work with people to find homes for animals they can no longer keep,” said Dr Vali. If there is a weak link in the running of the hospital, said the doctors, it is probably their propensity for taking in abandoned animals. “We cannot, will not, put down a mentally and physically healthy animal,” said vet technician Mary Simpson. “It is probably why we always have animals here for adoption.”

One of the biggest obstacles Dr Silverlieb has had to deal with in his three decades of providing service is the dilemma when finances stand in the way of available treatment. “I understand, but that is still the thing in veterinary medicine that’s hard for me. Euthanasia is definitely indicated in certain cases to relieve suffering, but I won’t euthanize just because an animal has become ‘inconvenient’ to its owner,” he said. “I think my strongest point is dealing with the clients and I really, really love the animals.”

Recognizing the importance of pets being inoculated against rabies, for more than 25 years Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals has provided a rabies clinic at Edmond Town Hall each spring, offering rabies shots for a minimal fee. It is a well-attended program that means pets that might not be inoculated against the dangerous disease are safely provided for.

Because Newtown is also his hometown as well as the town in which he does business, Dr Silverlieb is more than happy to make time to speak to locals organizations. “I have gone to nursing homes and schools to speak, and I love doing that,” said Dr Silverlieb. “We have also mentored several high school students here who were interested in a veterinary career, and they are always wonderful kids.”

Looking to the future, Dr Silverlieb added, “Hopefully, we have been an asset to Newtown and I do owe Newtown a lot. We will continue to do the best work that we can to help animals stay healthy. Our hospital stands for the happiness and welfare of the community and animals that live here.”