Hometown Alaska: Pets, vets and picking up poop

Sign asking visitors to clean up after their pets at University Lake in Anchorage. (Ammon Swenson/AKPM)

Nearly 61 thousand households in Anchorage have pets. That works out to about 105 thousand dogs and 88 thousand cats. That’s a lot of animals — and a lot of animal waste. And pet ownership doesn’t just impact the people who live with the creatures. Caring for pets is both challenging and rewarding for veterinarians and their staff, too. This week on Hometown, Alaska, we’re talking to veterinarians about their mental health and pet care basics as well as taking a trip to the dog park to see how your actions affect everyone downstream.

HOST: Anne Hillman

GUESTS:
Dr. Judy Montalbano and Dr. Tracy Ward, veterinarians, The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association
Cherie Northon,  Anchorage Waterways Council, Executive Director

LINKS:
The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435
Anchorage Waterways Council

BROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

a portrait of a woman outside

Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her atahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annehere.

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