The pet doctor will see you now, in your driveway

Penelope, an 18-month-old miniature dachshund whose size belies her energy level, bounds frantically up the steps, barely laying a paw on the "Wipe your paws" doormat. Once past the doorway, she makes a hasty reconnaissance of the small rectangular office, thoroughly sniffing the surroundings. Satisfied that no danger lurks, she settles her 8-pound frame on the cushy driver's seat.

Not your typical start to a visit to the vet. But then, Dr. Ann Thompson of Plymouth does not offer typical service. Thompson recently opened Mayflower Mobile Veterinary Services, a driveway-to-driveway, do-it-all animal medical practice. From the comfort of her customized, 26-foot roving hospital she offers everything from routine check ups to X-rays and surgery.

Or, in the case of Penelope, removal of tartar from a rear molar.

"I'm thrilled that I'm able to offer the convenience of coming directly to the pet owner's home," says Thompson, a 15-year veterinarian. "It makes a difference on the pets and the owners."

On this warm May morning, the look of contentment belongs to Penelope's owner, Al D'Anca. A retired orthopedic surgeon living in Plymouth, D'Anca understands the value in keeping patient and guardian calm. "I'm thrilled with this," D'Anca says as Thompson coaxes Penelope onto a hydraulically lifted examination table. "It saves us having to run around to see the vet and it keeps Penelope, as well as our two Scotties, relaxed during visits to the vets, which, as most pet owners know, is not the easiest trip to make. Most vet offices have a waiting room full of pets and that almost always creates a frantic atmosphere. Here, the dogs go from their front yard right in. They feel at ease."

So much so that Thompson frequently must wipe animal hair from her driver's seat. "They sit in there and think they're going for a ride. I often reach in and turn the radio on for them," she says with a laugh.

Though Thompson's mobile service is not a breakthrough in the veterinary field -- pet doctors have been making house calls for decades -- it does represent what appears to be a growing trend in the ever-expanding pet service industry. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association website, this year the nation's estimated 71 million pet owners will spend close to $40 billion on their animals, including $10 billion on veterinary care. And while veterinary organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association don't track the number of veterinarians owning mobile hospitals, the company that specializes in manufacturing mobile veterinary hospitals has seen sales of its converted Ford E-450 vans increase 20 percent over each of the past five years.

"We've had a great increase in the number of mobile veterinary vehicles we produce," said Jody Blais, a spokesman for Ohio-based La Boit Inc. "Five years ago, we produced maybe a handful in a year. Now we're up to 30-plus per year and there doesn't appear to be signs of any slowdown."

Blais cites three reasons for the increase in sales: the rising cost of real estate, technological improvements, and the desire for more people to have service come to their homes.

"Renting office space is expensive," he says. "Secondly, technology over the last 10 years has come to the point where a doctor can get immediate X-ray results, check a blood test, or look back at medical records instantly from a computer in the van. We're also living in a time where people are so busy with work and commitments that going to the vet's office is time-consuming."

Blais says the vans range in price from $175,000 to $250,000, depending on the extent of equipment the veterinarian requests. "Everything from digital radiology to surgery lighting," he says.

Last winter, Thompson coveted an opportunity to continue treating animals. She anticipated management changes at the animal hospital where she worked, and decided it was best she move on. But she didn't know where.

She says inspiration literally fell in front of her last Jan. 13, her 55th birthday. She was thinking about her sister, Virginia Treworgy, who had died two years earlier. Her sister had always been Thompson's biggest booster in her quest to become a veterinarian. As she pondered, she says, one of the medical journals on the desk next to her fell on the floor, and "I swear to you, it opened up to an advertisement for La Boit."

Thompson then did something uncharacteristically impulsive: She picked up the phone and called the number in the ad, leaving a message. The next day a woman from La Boit called back saying the wait for a customized van was six months. Then, "All of a sudden, she puts me on hold and comes back and tells me that strangely they had one ready to go," says Thompson. "OK, so I'm thinking my sister and divine intervention."

Within days Thompson secured financing, ordered medical supplies, gave the OK on equipment, and bought a one-way plane ticket to Columbus.

"Everything just fell into place so quickly, except the weather," she says of her three-day drive home, mostly in blizzard conditions. "But I figure if I could drive it in those conditions, I could drive it anytime."

She started work in March. Thompson and veterinary technician Juliet Seamans see seven to 10 clients per day, a big drop from the 30 Thompson says she saw daily at the hospital. Her house call fee is $25 if the trip is less than 30 miles one way. She charges $50 for an exam. In her van she can also perform surgery and euthanasia.

"I hope to keep my fees where they are, though rising gas prices can be tough," she says, noting her 14,000-pound van gets 10 miles per gallon.

Her clients include Susanne Hilles of Plymouth. In late May, Thompson gave Hilles's pug, Rocko, a routine check up.

"I can't tell you how convenient Ann's service is," says Hilles, who runs a pet-sitting service. "We're all short of time and to have someone come right to your house is just such a great benefit."