By Alexander Dworkowitz
Sylvia Brannock, the owner of the Little Dog House and The Dog and Cat Animal Clinic in College Point, says the success of her business is demonstrated not only in the satisfaction of her clients, but in the satisfaction of the animals she treats.
“We did adopt a dog out to a person in Flushing several years ago,” said Brannock. “The dog jumped out of its window and came back here. It was sitting on our front steps. The woman called up crying, saying she lost the dog. I said, ‘Yeah, she came back here!’”
Brannock has accumulated plenty of similar stories in her days at the clinic. She founded the clinic in 1958 when she was only 18. Since then, the clinic has never been closed a day. Brannock said that more than a thousand animals from golden retrievers to snakes come through the clinic’s doors every year.
“I started because so many animals were not spaded and neutered,” said Brannock, who was so bothered by the number of strays roaming throughout Queens that she got together with several veterinarians to help control the animal population.
“People are irresponsible,” she said of pet owners. “They think it’s an animal and doesn’t need anything. But they have their little souls, too.”
Brannock’s College Point business, along with the Millennium Animal Clinic, which she opened last year in Ozone Park, provide a variety of services. The Little Dog House and clinic offer boarding, grooming, placement and adoptions as well as complete veterinary care. Brannock also has begun practicing Reiki Healing, a holistic Buddhist practice designed for humans, on the animals who visit her clinic.
“It works — it’s very soothing and healing,” she said.
Over the years, Brannock has developed the clinic into a family business. Her daughters Dawn and Ilya as well as her son Blair have all spent time working there.
Brannock herself is not a veterinarian. Dr. Romeo Perez works as the veterinarian for the clinic two days a week and is on call the rest of the week.
While the clinic is usually overflowing with animals, business has not been good for Brannock and her family in recent weeks.
Brannock said business has declined “tremendously” since the attack on the World Trade Center. For example, this past Monday only 14 animals were boarding at the clinic, compared to the usual number of 35 and a capacity to serve as many as 85 animals.
“People are afraid to take the airlines,” said Brannock, who explained that most of her boarding business came from Queens residents who needed a place to leave their animals while they went on trips. “Even the animals are going to feel the economy,” she said.
In response to the drop-off in business, Brannock has decided to cut prices by 25 percent.
Nevertheless, the World Trade Center disaster has generated one client for the clinic.
“A woman brought in a cat covered in soot,” said Brannock. Guessing the cat had escaped from downtown Manhattan, she nicknamed the cat “Lucky.” Lucky is currently available for adoption.
Brannock said she has hope for Lucky, her business and the city as a whole.
“I’m optimistic,” she said. “I’m optimistic about everything. We’re Americans.”
Reach Reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
