Veterinarian Dr. Kara Moore (left) and Hospital Manager Kelly Erb opened Kyle’s Firehouse Animal Health Center in October.[/caption]In 2011 veterinarian Dr. Kara Moore said she packed her bags and moved with her Boston terrier, Bruce Lee, from Washington, D.C., to Austin.
Three years later she became the medical director of Firehouse Animal Health Center in one of Austins growing suburbs.
Dr. John Faught, a veterinarian and medical director of Austin's Firehouse Animal Health Center, opened the Kyle location in mid-October.
Moore's appreciation for her new community is quickly growing, she said.
"Being able to be part of a community that was growing and developing and finding its identity with that growth was an exciting prospect to me," Moore said. "That was probably in the back of my head. But I will say coming here and actually being part of the Kyle community has been no less refreshing. I can tell you that I absolutely love my clientele up here."
Firehouse is the first hospital at which she has been the medical director. Moore said she has worked for two other animal hospitals in the past.
FAHC provides full-service veterinary care. The business offers medical and surgical services for dogs and cats, including health examinations, diagnostic testing, dental care and vaccinations.
X-ray images are produced on-site through a digital system. Once the X-rays are taken, the image appears on a computer screen in the examination room. Moore can then email the image to a board-certified radiologist for review if necessary. She said that process usually takes about an hour.
Firehouse Animal Health Center also provides anesthesia for patients during procedures, Moore said.
Patient rooms of varying sizes allow the hospital to accommodate different breeds, she said.
Pets with contagious diseases such as parvovirus, are seen in an isolation unit, she said.
Moore said the FAHC mission is to offer compassionate, quality care in a team environment. The company also emphasizes transparency, both in pricing and in its medical philosophy, she said. Moore often gives tours to pet owners who are curious about the facility.
"We literally have an open-door policy," she said. "People are able to come back and see what the facility looks like."
Growth in Kyle has sparked more health care access in the city for people, but FAHC is just the second animal hospital in Kyle. There is also a hospital in Buda.
Moore said the other animal hospitals in Kyle and Buda have been very supportive, in part because the area remains underserved. She said they have referred patients to FAHC when they have been too busy.
"It's been a very refreshing business environment because of that," she said. "As far as veterinary services, there was definitely room to have an additional hospital and maybe more so in the future."
