For several years, Dr. Lori Cobb traveled between various shelters spaying and neutering homeless pets, owned pets and feral cats. She loved the work… helping pets and people. But her desire to focus on ideal comfort and care created conflicts. “Shelter clinics exist to end overpopulation by making spay/neuter as affordable as possible”, says Cobb, and subsequently many of her ideas were set aside.

Over time, Cobb developed a vision of an organization focusing on optimizing spay/neuter comfort and safety. The pets would get better drugs, pain relief before and after surgery, safer dosing strategies, individualized care, electronic monitoring, attention to post-operative warmth and comfort among other things. The people would enjoy their phone calls answered in a reasonable time, friendly staff to help with their concerns, easy drop off and pick up, and access to the veterinarian’s phone number in case of post-operative concerns. The veterinarians would get to practice the best quality of care and be paid accordingly.

Due to her vast experience, Cobb knew she could spay and neuter better and more affordably than a regular hospital. But she couldn’t get the ideal care she craved and still compete with shelter pricing. Believing that pet lovers would appreciate her new concept, she opened Ace of Spays in 2005 to find out. She bought supplies, gathered a small staff and rented space at other veterinary practices. When the practice was welcomed, she found Ace of Spays a permanent home on Route 38 in Hainesport.

Cobb’s other love was acupuncture and she planned to add that to services offered. She excitedly called her acupuncture mentor, Dr. Gloria Weintrub, who shocked her by stating, quite matter-of-factly, that she was coming along. Under Weintrub’s seasoned tutelage, Cobb developed skills in both conventional and alternative medicine. In 2010, the name Pathways to Wellness was adopted to reflect the eclectic mix of services provided in addition to spay/neuter. Both names now represent the same practice.

Spay/neuter at this practice is so much more than an affordable corollary to spay/neuter at full-service hospitals. Regular practices focus on overall care and safety of pets. Anesthesia and spay/neuter techniques are not necessarily strong areas of interest for most veterinarians. Additionally, the prevalence of spay/neuter surgery makes it a common training ground for new graduates. At Ace of Spays, spay/neuter is a primary area of interest. Without exception, the veterinarians have many surgeries under their belts. And, unlike shelters, these skilled practitioners are paid to put safety and comfort over speed. Here, affordability is actually a side effect of excellence. 

Ace of Spays along with Pathways to Wellness is located at 1485 Rte. 38, in Hainesport. For more information, call 609-267-6770, email [email protected]or visit AceOfSpays.com.