Lewis opens Bonners vet practice

Pend Oreille Veterinary Service founder Dr. Jerry Lewis is always happy to serve the animals of Boundary County, but now he can do it right in Bonners Ferry.

Lewis established Pend Oreille Veterinary Service in Ponderay in 1964.  He served as president of the Idaho Veterinary Medical Association in 1983, and  received Idaho Practitioner of the Year in 1986.

He also received the George Oakshott Award in 2009. This award recognizes outstanding service to the veterinary profession in North Idaho.  It is given to a practitioner, who through his/her personality and competence as a veterinarian, reflects credit on the profession.

Lewis said he came to the area because the people of Bonners Ferry asked him to.

“The people of Bonners Ferry have always been extremely good to us,” said Lewis. “They asked please set up a clinic up here please come up to Bonners Ferry.”

Lewis decided he would.  After looking at four locations that did not pan out for one reason or another, he decided on the location at 6664 Main Street, in Bonners Ferry.

Eventually they will have a large building across from the Conoco on Main Street, according to Lewis.

With six veterinarians the clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The doctors from Ponderay who take turns coming to the Bonners Ferry clinic along with Lewis are Dr. Christine Smart, Dr. Chuck Ashton, Dr. Mary Jane Davis, Dr. Bruce Vogel and Dr. Mark Fineman.

“We stay until 5 p.m. and have a 24-hour emergency number people can call after hours,” said Lewis.

Lewis said that after hours people will most likely need to go to Ponderay for an emergency visit, but that at least someone can be reached 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

“You have to call the Sandpoint office, and probably drive there, but always offer that option to be seen after hours,” Lewis said.

Ketta Everhart, who is Pend Oreille Vet Clinic’s receptionist in the Bonners Ferry office, said they even have a doctor that specializes in exotic animals.

“Birds, rabbits, iguanas, yes snakes, and all kinds of animals,” she said.

Lewis said he used to treat, spay and neuter cougars  that belonged to  the late Charlie Kramer of Naples years ago.

Lewis recently has worked with another pet bob cat.

“We have seen all kinds of animals from hedge hogs, iguanas and all kinds of crazy weird stuff,” said Lewis.

The office is open five days a week. Everhart is there every day, as are a doctor, technician and usually one or two young people who are job shadowing.

“I like to give young people the opportunity to come in and see what it is all about,” said Lewis.  “They can see if this is something they really want to do.”

Lewis said the people who observe either figure out that this type of work is something they really want to do, or they find out it is something they do not want to do.

Currently Lewis has a young lady from Belgium observing his practice.  She comes to Sandpoint each year with her family for a month. She is 13-year-old Syrine Bougatef and she is shadowing the doctors as they work on animals.

“I really like it so far, it seems very interesting and everyone is so nice” she said.

Lindsay Feist and Brenda Ward come up to Bonners Ferry from the Pend Oreille office to assist the doctors. Kendra Urbaniak of Bonners Ferry is a teen helping around the Bonners clinic, as well. 

Lewis said he has a very good vet who is also a wizard dentist.

Lewis loves the fact that all their patients want to get better.

“I love doing what I do because it is positive, you know you are doing things that making a defenseless animal better, most of the time,” said Lewis. 

For information, call Pend Oreille Veterinary Service in Bonners Ferry at 267-2444.