In The Community

All of us at Catawba Animal Clinic enjoy giving back to this wonderful community which has given us so much. Our work at the office is only part of how we have invested ourselves into Rock Hill and York County.

Catawba Animal Clinic is a sponsor of Rock Hill’s annual celebration of spring. We especially enjoy our signature event “Teddy Bear Surgery” during Sundaes in the Park with Glenn, held in the Beautiful Glencairn Gardens in Rock Hill. During Teddy Bear Surgery we perform life, limb, and stuffing-saving surgery on children’s stuffed animals.

We have successfully performed button eyeball transplants, re-attached severed toy elephant trunks, and repaired a wide variety of wear and tear injuries on children’s toys.

Teddy Bear Surgery allows us to have fun with the two-legged family members and help the kids learn a bit about proper pet care and how they and their veterinarians can work together to keep their “other” pets healthy.

Since 1973, always beginning on the first Saturday in March, the Iditarod Dog Sled Race has run in Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. Typically there are some 65-70 mushing teams beginning with 16 dogs that set out to complete the approximately 1000 miles of the National Historic Trail. Over 2,000 volunteers, including approximately 40 veterinarians, participate in the operation of the Iditarod, the most well-known sled dog race in the world. The vast majority of the veterinarians have served on numerous races.

For over 10 years, Dr Roger Troutman has been among the volunteer Iditarod veterinarians, generally spending about 2 weeks on the trail. Primary responsibilities of the veterinarians are to provide examinations and medical care as needed for the canine athletes at the checkpoints along the trail. The trail veterinarians collectively perform 10,000+ exams and provide medical attention if needed for the canine athletes at the checkpoints. Roger has also participated in the required pre-race examinations of the dogs as well as post race assessment following their 1000 mile journey, and on occasion, providing first aid to people along the trail.

Typically some 6 veterinarians are stationed at each checkpoint. They work in teams examining and caring for dogs as they arrive during all hours of the day and night. Living conditions vary from sleeping on cots in school gyms or community huts in the native villages to sleeping bags in tents at the more remote checkpoints. Temperatures are usually around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, but can drop to colder than -50 degrees.