Animal Haven Clinic PC

Location & Areas We Serve

History

KSU Class of '51 Graduated In a simple ceremony on a sultry afternoon in June 1951, Cloyd Deloss Lewis and other duly qualified senior veterinary students were graduated from the college of veterinary medicine at Kansas State University. It is reported that this class was exclusively male and came primarily from an agriculture background. Cloyd was 40 years old the year he graduated Lewis' experience as a mule skinner and as a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army Air Corps., would provide a launching pad for his veterinary career.

New Business Opens In November 1954, Dr. Cloyd D. Lewis acquired a business license from the City of Farmington for Animal Haven Clinic. Dr. Lewis practiced in Clayton, NM after graduation. Dr. Lewis sought greener pastures (three rivers come together) and purchased an odd shaped property, numbered 822 East Main. The very first Animal Haven Clinic was a small white house present on the property.

New Clinic Constructed Using a 6-line form and paying a $5.00 filing fee, Dr. Lewis was granted a building permit by the City to construct a modern veterinary clinic at 822 East Main. Ray Seelye built the clinic, Van Christensen laid the block.

Animal Haven Clinic is reborn! Joe and Sue met at CSU. Joe came to Farmington in July 1977 and took over running Animal Haven Clinic. Being very astute, Joe realized that on his hands, he had a very large challenge. The challenge was similar to a dystocia involving an elephant. Joe invited Sue to come. Joe claimed that an animal was in need and together they could deliver a fine healthy pachyderm. Sue left her beautiful, green homeland and came to the desert to see a pachyderm struggling to be born posterior presentation, sacral-ventral position. The big mom was down unable to rise, becoming weaker by the minute. Using chains, prayer, persistence, sweat, and magic, the fetus Animal Haven Clinic was inched out. A fetatomy wasn't appropriate as the OB. wire could damage the baby's trunk. The dystocia was resolved to be replaced by a pachyderm with explosive diarrhea and a pulsatile trunk, weak suck reflex. The elephant mom's struggle to deliver the baby left the mom with raging uterine infection, obturator paralysis and no mothering instinct. At this point, Dr. Moreland started to shake her head, but Dr. Joe Quintana, name after St. Joseph the Worker, persisted, So "M" and "Q", continued to work together, dedicating their efforts to patient care and with magnanimous help from so many staff members, birthed Modern Day Animal Haven Clinic. The green graduates gradually evolved into dinosaurs, smiling at the many aspects of dystocia management.

Sweet Surgical Suite Since 1981, when Animal Haven Clinic built a surgical suite/exam room for it's larger patients, it has expanded and added onto the existing clinic numerous times to facilitate both the diverse groups of animals and staff needed to become a true full service facility for all animals. Only 14% of the nation's small animal clinics meet the U.S. standards for A.A.H.A. accreditation and Animal Haven is proud to be one of them. On top of the A.A.H.A. accreditation and large animal surgical suite, Animal Haven Clinic now sports a Bovine Barn, Robbie's Roost, large animal grazing and equine exercise areas as well as offices upstairs from the small animal facilities to accommodate the expanded staff needed to operate a growing facility.