Monroe County Humane Association teaching good pet care with clinic for stuffed animals

Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times
·3 min read
Ellie Buchanan holds Spot the cheetah and Ballerina Bunny Tuesday as she brings them in for repair at the Stuffy Repair Clinic at the Monroe County Humane Association.
Ellie Buchanan holds Spot the cheetah and Ballerina Bunny Tuesday as she brings them in for repair at the Stuffy Repair Clinic at the Monroe County Humane Association.

An injured cheetah and bunny are being stitched up by veterinarian technician Colleen Seal after the two animals were brought into the Monroe County Humane Association's animal clinic on Tuesday. The prognosis for both is good.

Ellie Buchanan, 6, and her mother, Melissa, watched as Seal — a needle-and-thread-bearing member of the clinic's Sewers of Stuffed Veterinary Medicine team — inspected both, asking questions about the care Ellie and her mother provided both of the stuffed animals.

The well-worn spotted cheetah, aptly named Spot, was missing a leg after some play with the family golden-doodle Libby. The purple Ballerina Bunny was missing its skirt.

Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, checks out Spot the cheetah during intake at the Stuffy Repair Clinic Tuesday as Ellie Buchanan watches and her mom, Melissa Buchanan, keeps an eye on her. Appointments at the clinic cost $20.
Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, checks out Spot the cheetah during intake at the Stuffy Repair Clinic Tuesday as Ellie Buchanan watches and her mom, Melissa Buchanan, keeps an eye on her. Appointments at the clinic cost $20.

After placing both on the drop-down stainless steel examining table, Seal listened to the pets' hearts and lungs before using an otoscope to peer into the animals' ears. Both, Seal said, had good hearts and lungs and clean ears.

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"You take very good care of your babies," she said to Ellie.

While Seal couldn't replace Spot's lost limb, she did explain she could sew up the hole left behind. A nod from Ellie gave consent.

Seal then explained she wasn't certain about matching the purple of Ballerina Bunny and asked if a pink skirt would be OK. Again, Ellie agreed.

Mother and daughter left both stuffed animals at the clinic with assurances they would be cared for and returned within two weeks. Before the animals go home, they will have collars with their names placed around their necks.

Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, checks the heart and lungs of Ballerina Bunny Tuesday during an appointment at the Stuffy Repair Clinic.
Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, checks the heart and lungs of Ballerina Bunny Tuesday during an appointment at the Stuffy Repair Clinic.

As they were leaving, Melissa Buchanan said she saw a notice on Facebook letting her know about the Stuffy Repair Clinic. Besides offering repairs, the visit gave Ellie a glimpse into a veterinarian clinic, something her mother thought was a good idea since Ellie has said she wants to be a vet when she grows up.

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After the owners left, Seal carefully scooped up the animals, saying they were the sixth and seventh stuffed animals she's worked on as part of the clinic that raises funds for the humane association. The Stuffy Repair Clinic has a $20 appointment fee and has two slots for patients on Tuesdays — 4-5 and 5-6 p.m.

As her mom, Melissa Buchanan, watches Tuesday, Ellie Buchanan points out the problems with Ballerina Bunny to Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, as part of the Stuffy Repair Clinic at the Monroe County Humane Association. One of the main goals of the clinic is to foster the love of animals in young people.
As her mom, Melissa Buchanan, watches Tuesday, Ellie Buchanan points out the problems with Ballerina Bunny to Colleen Seal, a registered veterinary technician, as part of the Stuffy Repair Clinic at the Monroe County Humane Association. One of the main goals of the clinic is to foster the love of animals in young people.

"Most of the injuries are due to a dog," Seal said.

The first stuffed animal seen at the clinic was in October when an owner brought in a sea turtle named Tea Cup that Seal said "presented quite a challenge." The issue was a missing eye and trying to find a match was impossible. So, Seal removed the "good eye" and replaced both with matching eyes. The owners were happy with the result.

"The point of (the clinic) is to foster kids being gentle with animals," Seal said, adding they learn to take care of both stuffed and live pets. "We try to make it like it's real animals."

Anyone who has a stuffed pet that needs some repair can make an appointment by going online to https://www.monroehumane.org/stuffy-repair-clinic/.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com, 812-331-4359 or @ckugler on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County Humane Association's clinic repairs stuffed animals