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Feral Cat Hero: Dr. Melanie deHaan

May 28, 2008, 6:59 MT

By Lori Skaggs

Doing her part to bring about No More Homeless Pets

It was a cold February morning in 2007, when I met Dr. Melanie DeHaan for the first time. It was also my first spay/neuter clinic and I had no idea what to expect. This particular clinic was held at her small veterinary office in a feed store/boarding kennel. My first impression of this tall, young woman with intense blue eyes was of some one who was deeply dedicated to the animals in her care. As I watched Dr. Mel through the day, I was amazed at the treatment she gave our feral cats. Other than being careful on how the cats were handled until they were “safely” anesthetized, you would have thought our ferals were the pampered pets of the wealthiest of owners.

Each cat was carefully monitored by Dr. Mel and her vet tech during surgery and then each received flea and ear mite prevention, vaccines, antibiotics and pain medication. She even took time to give every cat a scratch behind the ear or under the chin.

That day, I also met Betty, Dr. Mel’s rescued Beagle. Betty had been left on the side of a busy highway and Dr. Mel risked her own wellbeing to get the senior Beagle to safety. Upon examination, Dr. Mel realized that Betty was deaf, losing her sight, had heart problems and tumors. Though Betty only had a short time with Dr. Mel, she was loved by many. Betty became a mascot at our feral clinics. She loved the cats. No matter how hissy they were, Betty would walk by each one several times during the day. Sadly, Dr. Mel had to help Betty cross the Rainbow Bridge in September 2007, when her heart problems ended any hope for quality life.

I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Mel for a little over a year now and had never had an opportunity to sit down and talk with her, to figure out why she does what she does. Feral clinics are high energy, extremely busy and emotional situations…not the optimal setting to get to know anyone in any great detail. I recently invited Dr. Mel to lunch so I could get to know this woman that I have grown to admire so very much.

If you had told a twelve-year-old Melanie that she would one day be considered a hero to homeless animals, she would have told you that would never happen. It wasn’t because she didn’t like animals, she’d been rescuing neighborhood strays since she was five and wanted to be a vet. However, after volunteering at a veterinary clinic as an eighth grader, she cried every time the vets or technicians did anything with the animals. She felt she was too empathetic with their pain to be a veterinarian.

Mel decided on marine biology as her career when it was time to go to college, but that changed during a summer trip in 1995 with a cousin. They spent 3 ½ months traveling the country and staying in hostels. Mel’s cousin had heard about Best Friends and wanted to visit. Faith Maloney ran the Welcome Center at that time, greeting guests and Michael Mountain gave personal tours of the sanctuary in his jeep. It was this visit that changed Mel’s life forever. Since that first trip, Mel has returned to Best Friends three other times including doing a mini-internship.

After leaving Best Friends that summer, Mel knew what she had to do, but there was one final experience that sealed her future. During that summer, the girls had found a dog along the side of the road that needed medical care. They named her Willa and took her to a vet only to learn she had heartworm. They paid the vet $300 and left Willa in his care. Unfortunately, the Willa was not strong enough to survive the treatment and passed away.

Not only saddened by the death of Willa, Mel was mad. She had to know how to take care of animals so she could treat them. With her first experience at Best Friends behind her and the memory of a little dog she couldn’t save, Mel returned home and changed her major. She graduated from the Ohio State University’s School of Veterinarian Medicine but not before leaving her mark there as well.

Frustrated at the lack of classes to help vet students understand the unique medical needs of animal shelters and rescues, she formed and became president of the University's Shelter Medicine Club. The club gave vet students the opportunity to listen to speakers from shelters about the problems they face and what they need their vets to know. Mel graduated with the honor of receiving the American Veterinary Medical Association's award for Outstanding Senior Service.

Mel began volunteering with feral cat organizations before she had graduated from vet school and continues to have a soft spot for ferals. She feels that they are often overlooked and considered a nuisance and wants to see that change. Since graduation Dr. Mel has continued working with rescue organizations and shelters to improve the vet care that homeless animals receive.

Her most recent project is starting the nonprofit, Shelter Outreach Services of Ohio, a MASH-like mobile veterinary clinic that provides low cost spay/neuter and vaccination services. She hopes to one day have an inner-city clinic where low-income families can receive care for their pets that will also provide vet students with an opportunity to learn shelter medicine first hand, and where kids can volunteer and learn compassion for animals.

I, for one, am very grateful that Mel found Best Friends which led her to a life of caring and compassion for our country’s forgotten ones and no matter how angry and hissy our ferals are when they visit Dr. Mel, I’m sure that they are grateful as well.

How you can help

· Visit SOS Ohio’s web site to learn more about Dr. Mel and SOS Ohio – SOS

· Make a donation to help Dr. Mel continue her work for animals in shelters, low-income families with pets, and Central Ohio’s feral and stray cats

· Volunteer with SOS Ohio – Vets, Vet Techs and other volunteers are needed to assist with clinics

· SOS Ohio can use donations of the following items:

- *Vehicle to carry equipment (mini-van, van, SUV, station wagon)*
- Dental Equipment
- Pulsox for monitoring animals under anesthesia
- Surgical Instruments
- Pee Pad
- Newspapers
- Hand Sanitizer
- Gas Cards
- First Aid Supplies (alcohol pads, long q-tips, gauze pads, digital
thermometers, etc.)

Deanna is available for adoption through Colony Cats

By Lori Skaggs, Network Volunteer News Writer
Photo By Lori Skaggs

Comments

Posted June 01, 2008, 9:39AM by Noraandkids

Lori

I love the article. Dr. Mel is certainly one special lady. Primary Children's Medical Center here in Salt Lake makes the statement, "The child first and always." It seems this statement could be applied to Dr. Mel, substituting feral cats and shelter animals for the child. It takes a lot of courage and dedication to do what she has done with her life. Please let her know your mom is one of her many fans and appreciates what she is doing.

Mom

Posted May 29, 2008, 4:0 by bear1

wonderful story Lori. Dr. Mel is definitely one of the good guys. God Bless her and all of you doing your part to better the lives of Ferals through S/N

Keep up the good work!!!
Lisa & Jiminy

Posted June 30, 2008, 2:17 by asmpdx

I am Mel's cousin, and I could not be prouder. Melanie has a combination of empathy, skill, and absolute commitment that will benefit thousands of animals. You have really done Willa proud, Mel.

Anna