Many things come bounding into a veterinary hospital’s doors — and they’re usually of the four-legged variety (the ones that aren’t scared, that is). For Nottingham Animal Clinic in Houston, it was an SUV that came barreling through, damaging the clinic on Memorial Drive and Tully so severely that it is estimated it will cost $100,000 to fix it. Houston Police are still looking for the driver, who fled the scene after the incident at approximately 4 a.m. this past Sunday. The passenger of the vehicle stayed at the scene, KHOU reports; however, he did not say much except for an apology. James (Skip) Fix, DVM, owns the clinic and told KHOU of the accident, “The front desk counter was all the way back here. There was just total destruction. The vehicle had probably gone about 20 feet inside the building. The police officer said he tried to back out.” Fix told KHOU that he believes the driver was under the influence of alcohol. Dr. Fix added that the clinic cats in the back were “freaked out” but were otherwise fine. Unfortunately, one kitten was killed and another suffered a back break. That kitten underwent surgery; however, its prognosis is unknown. The clinic’s bird was also injured and again, the prognosis is unknown. Since the incident, Fix and staff have been assessing the damage and finding out which machines still work. Fix told KHOU that he believes the damages will reach an estimated $100,000. In the meantime, the clinic is trying to stay open and a YouCaring account was set up to help raise funds for the injured animals as well as for any damages that is not covered in the clinic’s insurance. For more information or to donate, visit the YouCaring page.
