New vet works to help re-establish Red Rock services

Dr. Leonard Jensen removes stitches from a husky named KoKo at Red Rock Animal Hospital while vetrinary assistant Debbie Rudisil makes sure the dog stays put. KoKo was at the hospital for knee surgery. (Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent)

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Dr. Len Jensen is the new veterinarian at the Red Rock Animal Hospital, and he would like local pet and horse owners to know the clinic is back in business with a full-time doctor.

Jensen, a native of Pinedale, Wyo., and a veterinarian for 34 years, moved to Gallup in early February. With a background in treating small and large animals, Jensen said he has been busy at the clinic, which has seen a number of temporary veterinarians come and go over the last several years.

Jensen said he would like pet and horse owners to know that they can rely on the Red Rock Animal Hospital to have one vet available to consistently care for their animals. The clinic has good staff members, he added, and they are working to make everyone feel welcome and to take good care of each animal they treat.

As a veterinarian with 20 years experience treating performance horses, such as race and show horses, Jensen said he is also working to rebuild the clinic's relationship with local horse owners. Years ago, he explained, the clinic treated many more horses than it has in recent years.

"That's one of my main goals," he said, "to increase the equine practice. There's a need for it here."

The most common reasons horses need veterinary care are due to colic or cuts, he said. Colic is a severe stomach ache that is often caused by a change of feed, poor water, or lack of water, Jensen explained, and horses often get injured by cuts made by wire, fences, and abandoned junk material.

In addition, Jensen also has experience with equine reproductive work.

Dr. John Howard still owns the Red Rock Animal Hospital, but Jensen said he is working here to see if he would like to eventually purchase the veterinary practice.

Gallup was appealing to Jensen for a couple of reasons. First, he said, he was looking for a warmer climate to escape Wyoming's harsher winter. Although Gallup has had lots of snow this season, Jensen said it is nothing compared to the snowfall during Wyoming winters.

In addition, Jensen sees Gallup as offering more possibilities for his 12-year-old daughter. She shows horses, he explained, and he believes there are more horse show opportunities for her in the Southwest. Jensen's wife and daughter are scheduled to join him in Gallup once the school year ends.

Jensen said he likes Gallup so far. "I hope things turn out so that we can make it a permanent home in the future," he said. The veterinary practice at Red Rock Animal Hospital is much more busy than his former practice in Wyoming, he said.

As for differences, Jensen said there are more cases of dogs suffering from distemper and parvo in Gallup than in Wyoming, and he has begun to see a number of cases of dogs with the parvo virus here. The virus, he said, becomes more infectious during the spring months with the increasingly warm weather. The virus gets into the ground, he explained, but isn't as big of a problem in more northern locations because the virus can't survive sub-zero temperatures.

Pet owners need to have their animals vaccinated on a regular basis to save them from deadly, infectious diseases like parvo, distemper, and rabies, all of which are completely preventable.

The clinic offered a special spay and neuter clinic last month, Jensen said, and it will probably offer other specials, perhaps a vaccination special, in the near future.

The Red Rock Animal Hospital, 816 S. Boardman, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. For more information, call (505) 722-2251.