CAPE ANN ANIMAL AID SHELTER MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
HELPING HOMELESS ANIMALS FIND LOVING HOMES FASTER
After years of strategic planning and support from our donors, Cape Ann Animal Aid is expanding its Shelter Medicine Department at the Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter.
Veterinary care is a crucial component of a homeless animal's journey to finding a forever home. For many years, we have relied on the generosity of area veterinary hospitals to work alongside our staff providing needed medical and surgical care. We are immensely grateful to our area partners who have worked with us since our rescue work began in 1964. Thanks to our community of supporters, Cape Ann Animal Aid is expanding to provide more essential medical and surgical care on-site to shelter pets.
FINDING HOMES FASTER
Managing routine veterinary needs and the extra veterinary needs of sick and injured shelter animals on-site reduces the amount of time each animal needs to spend in our shelter. Decreased shelter time is not only beneficial to their health and well-being, but, more importantly, means they find the comfort of a loving family faster.
FINDING HOMES FASTER
Managing routine veterinary needs and the extra veterinary needs of sick and injured shelter animals on-site reduces the amount of time each animal needs to spend in our shelter. Decreased shelter time is not only beneficial to their health and well-being, but, more importantly, means they find the comfort of a loving family faster.
SAVING MORE LIVES
"Being able to attend to our animals' medical and surgical needs on-site without the additional step of having to visit an external veterinary clinic has been beneficial to the health and safety of our animals. This means that our dogs and cats get medical attention without needing an offsite appointment. Also, this means that our amazing foster care providers and staff now have an in-shelter resource for medical questions and concerns"
- Cape Ann Animal Aid's Director of Shelter Medicine, Dr. Alex Becket
- Cape Ann Animal Aid's Director of Shelter Medicine, Dr. Alex Becket
MEET OUR VETERINARY CARE STAFF
Dr. Alex Becket, Director of Shelter Medicine
Dr. Becket was born in Holland and immigrated to the US in 1989, where he became a citizen in 1997 and moved to Gloucester in 2010. After providing veterinary care for CAAA for 5 years, he became the shelter's Director of Shelter Medicine in 2018. With the expansion of the Shelter Medicine Department in 2020, his role was extended to include managing all of our surgical needs. Dr. Becket graduated from the Ohio State University in 2009, and has interned at Akron Zoo, Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital, and the Barberton Vet Clinic. His prior experience includes work as Associate Veterinarian at Zoo New England. When not at CAAA, Dr. Becket can be found gardening and tending his many house plants, walking in Dogtown with his 3 dogs, and enjoying the Gloucester seaside with his wife Andrea. He can also be spotted in Salem and Gloucester eating fire and laying on beds of nails with a troupe of circus performers in Dr. Bones' Circus of Marvels. |
Cara Bren, Lead Veterinary Technician
Cara is a native of Rockport and currently lives in Gloucester with her husband, 3 kids, 2 dogs and a cat. She joined the Cape Ann Animal Aid team as a Veterinary Technician in 2011. Now, as Lead Technician, Cara oversees the animal's medical needs and surgical schedules. She also assists our veterinarian, Dr. Beckett, with surgical procedures. When she is not saving precious animal lives, she is juggling 3 kids and the many activities they have. Cara is an advocate for the mission of Cape Ann Animal Aid and is also passionate about and committed to fundraising for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund by way of The Pan-Mass Challenge. Dana-Farber saved her youngest son's life. She loves to travel and take vacations with her family, and went on two once in a lifetime trips last year after her son was declared cancer free. |
OUR FUTURE
We are still in need of more advanced medical equipment, supplies, and revenue for the maintenance of our expanding shelter medicine department. This also includes future building plans to install a permanent procedure room dedicated to the care and well-being of all our shelter animals.
PLEASE DONATE TODAY
LEARN MORE about our Veterinary Care Fund and the animals it has helped.
Please give a gift to the Cape Ann Animal Aid's Veterinary Care Fund and together we can deliver lifesaving care to more vulnerable homeless animals.
Please give a gift to the Cape Ann Animal Aid's Veterinary Care Fund and together we can deliver lifesaving care to more vulnerable homeless animals.
The Cape Ann Animal Aid Shelter Medicine Department provides veterinary care to shelter animals waiting for adoption at our Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter.
We are not an emergency facility or public veterinary clinic. If your pet needs medical attention, please contact your family veterinarian or your local 24-hour emergency clinic.
We are not an emergency facility or public veterinary clinic. If your pet needs medical attention, please contact your family veterinarian or your local 24-hour emergency clinic.
Thank you to our Cape Ann Animal Aid Shelter Medicine Department sponsors.
Drs. Randall and Laura Stevens
The Hoffer Family in memory of Smokey Hoffer
The Hoffer Family in memory of Smokey Hoffer
