Hellertown Veterinary Center is located at 15 Main St., Hellertown, and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 7 p.m. Owned and operated by Lower Saucon Township resident and veterinarian Amber Bauer, the practice opened June 5.
Saucon Valley pet owners who want to ensure that their four-legged friends stay healthy have a convenient new option for veterinary care–and they’re accepting new clients.
Hellertown Veterinary Center opened in the Shoppes at Hellertown on Main Street on June 5, and so far the community has been very welcoming, owner and veterinarian Dr. Amber Bauer said.
Bauer, who lives in Lower Saucon Township with her husband, two children and five dogs, is a Whitehall native who developed an interest in veterinary medicine as an animal-loving child.
After attending Allentown Central Catholic High School, she went on to major in animal science at the University of Delaware and then worked as a veterinary technician before earning her medical degree at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts; an academic environment she said was the right one for her, not because the school is located in the Caribbean, but because of the caliber of education she received there.
Ross is accredited in the United States and students there are trained according to the same standards of care that they would be at a comparable U.S.-based institution, Bauer explained.
After graduating and completing her clinical year at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, she went to work at Mahoning Valley Animal Hospital in Lehighton and then Warren Animal Hospital in Phillipsburg, N.J.
Bauer said Warren’s Dr. Nicole Zaccheo was “a great mentor” during her 12 years there, and that the decision to leave and open her own practice was partly a result of Warren’s successfulness.
“It just became too much–too busy,” she said, adding that “it was a great place to learn.”
In addition to being closer to her home, the Main Street storefront that is now her general practice was attractive to Bauer because it was formerly an urgent care facility, so in many ways it was easy to transform into a veterinary clinic.
The building’s large size is also a plus, she said, because it allows for separate feline and canine waiting and treatment areas.
Bauer’s husband Gary–who owns Gary’s Custom Cuts in Hellertown–assisted with renovations to the space, which included painting all of the walls and replacing counters.
Bauer said her goal in addition to providing prompt, professional care, is to give all of her patients the time and attention they deserve.
“I’m trying to take it back to having a relationship with people,” she said of her philosophy toward veterinary medicine.
To help keep everyone’s stress levels lower, “we try to do everything in the room with the owners (present),” she said, adding that “it’s just been a calmer experience for the animals.”
Since animal adoptions spiked during the pandemic, Bauer said there is a shortage of veterinarians, which is why practices like the one she left are so busy–and why it’s so important for her to maintain a personal approach as much as she can.
She is now assisted in doing that by several experienced staff members, including certified veterinary technician Kaitlyn Fishbourne and receptionists Carol Durst and Stacey Strickland.
In the future, Bauer said she plans to hire several additional veterinarians to help provide care to her growing patient clientele, which as of June 30 included 165 cats and dogs.
Hellertown Veterinary Center only treats cats and dogs and specializes in general care, including vaccinations, spaying and neutering, surgery, sick visits, wellness exams and compassionate end-of-life care when it is needed. To that end, the practice contains a thoughtfully decorated euthanasia room, in which owners can say goodbye to their special pet with dignity and privacy.
The practice is located at 15 Main St., Hellertown, and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 7 p.m.
Bauer said that the early evening hours are a convenient option for many of her patients who work weekdays.
“I’m happy,” she said of the response she’s received from the community so far. “It’s been nothing but positive feedback. It’s definitely been busier than we anticipated.”
To learn more about Hellertown Veterinary Center, call 484-851-3890, visit HellertownVetCenter.com and be sure to follow the practice on Facebook.
Veterinarian Amber Bauer, center, is supported by staff members Carol Durst, left, and Kaitlyn Fishbourne at her newly-opened practice, Hellertown Veterinary Center. Not pictured is staff member Stacey Strickland.
Whimsical art decorates a wall in one of the patient rooms on the cat side of Hellertown Veterinary Center. The practice is large enough to accommodate separate waiting and treatment areas for cats and dogs.
The front counter at Hellertown Veterinary Center is located between separate feline and canine waiting areas. The separate areas are appreciated by both pets and their owners, according to veterinarian Amber Bauer.
A central hub is where Hellertown Veterinary Center staff plan and organize much of their care of local cats and dogs.
The waiting areas are spacious inside Hellertown Veterinary Center, which was previously home to an urgent care facility.
The euthanasia room at Hellertown Veterinary Center has been thoughtfully decorated in a soothing palette to help pets and their owners feel a sense of calm during what is often a very difficult time. Bauer said that despite the sadness of losing a friend, many owners are grateful and relieved that there is a pain-free option for putting a stop to their pet’s suffering.
Although on occasion its kennels may be occupied by patients overnight, for the most part Hellertown Veterinary Center is not set up for round-the-clock and/or emergency care. Dr. Amber Bauer said patients requiring that level of treatment are typically referred to a facility that specializes in emergency veterinary medicine, such as Quakertown Animal Hospital.
Dr. Amber Bauer is a native of Whitehall who grew up loving animals and ultimately lived her dream by becoming a veterinarian. Bauer now lives in Lower Saucon Township with her husband, Gary; her son and daughter; and their five dogs, which include four Boston terriers and one Australian shepherd. Despite the large brood she tends to at home today, growing up Bauer said her family had just one dog.
