Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 11, 2011

4

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views News Saturday, June 11, 2011

DUELING MAPS: How Will Your District Change?

Free Public Forum on Redistricting for Los Angeles County June 15

There’s still time for voters to speak up about how their political 
districts will change as the groundbreaking Citizens 

Redistricting Commission comes down the home stretch in 
drawing new boundaries for state Assembly, Senate and U.S. 
Congressional Districts. 

The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area is offering a unique 
opportunity to participate in a community conversation about 
“Dueling Maps: How Will Your District Change?” -- a free public 
forum on redistricting for Los Angeles County on June 15, 7-9 
p.m. at the KPCC Crawford Family Forum, 474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. 

 

For the first time in California history, citizens rather than politicians are redrawing the lines 
of political districts to assure that communities have a voice in government. This is thanks 
to a 2008 initiative designed to prevent gerrymandering of

district boundaries to keep political parties in office.

 Dr. Morgan Kousser, professor of history and social science at Caltech, will moderate the 
discussion centering on the latest draft maps for Los Angeles County from the Citizens 
Redistricting Commission and maps proposed by ethnic, 

business and environmental coalitions. 

Participating groups will be the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Mexican American 
Legal Defense and Education Fund, African American Redistricting Collaborative, Valley 
Industry and Commerce Association and Citizens for the San Gabriel Mountains.

 Information also will be available about draft-map hearings in Culver City on June 16 and 
Whittier on June 17. The deadline for maps is August.

The forum is free, but RSVPs are required because space is limited. Go to http://www.scpr.
org/events/, click on the event then on the RSVP box. Or call the League office: 626-798-
0965. 

Spotlight on Excellence: 

HUNTINGTON VETERINARY HOSPITAL 
- SPECIALISTS IN CARING FOR YOUR 
BEST FRIENDS


by LaQuetta M. Shamblee

 No doubt that Dr. Gary R. 
White & Associates are thought 
of as “best friends” by their 
four-footed patients who’ve 
been brought to the Huntington 
Veterinary Hospital. Their 
white sign at 535 W. Huntington 
Drive features a distinguishable, 
large green “H” designed with 
the profile of a cat and dog, 
nose-to-nose. The logo is an 
appropriate indicator of the 
canine and feline focus of the 
practice.

 Dr. White purchased the 
facility in January 2007 to 
establish Huntington Veterinary 
Hospital after spending 17 
years in corporate veterinary 
practice environments. This 
Connecticut native knew that 
he wanted to be an animal 
doctor since the age of 10.

 From the onset, his goal was 
to create a top-notch medical 
practice for his four-legged 
patients, as well as a memorable 
customer service experience 
for the client chaperons. He 
has been successful on both 
fronts and credits the Hospital 
Administrator, Andrea 
Bundesmann. She is responsible 
for all of the administrative 
functions, including the front 
office and concierge to assist 
with check-in, answer questions 
related to your pet. There are 
high expectations for customer 
service that begin from the 
moment a client calls for 
information or walks into the 
lobby with a dog or cat. She 
states, “We don’t want a dog to 
feel the nervousness of walking 
into a veterinary hospital, so we 
work to create an atmosphere 
in the lobby that makes the 
animals feel like their visiting 
someone’s home.” There is a 
self-serve refreshment bar with 
complimentary coffee, snacks 
and other refreshments to make 
the clients feel welcomed, and 
perhaps enjoying a movie on 
the large mounted screen while 
waiting in the lounge area.

 Beyond the lobby, Dr. White 
is responsible for everything 
related to the medical care 
where a commitment to 
excellence in care continues. 
“I’m big on client education for 
a pet’s overall health. One of his 
goals is to educate clients about 
preventative care and routine 
maintenance. He shared the 
example of the heartworm 
prevention at a monthly cost of 
about $15, versus at least $1,000 
for the treatment. Another 
example is preventative dental 
care for canines, which he says, 
“Most of this can be done at 
home, especially if you start it 
when they are puppies to get 
them used to it.” 

 There is a growing trend 
among pet groomers to offer 
“anesthetic-free teeth cleaning,” 
however many consumers 
aren’t aware that this practice 
is illegal in California unless it 
is done by a licensed veterinary 
technician. Many veterinarians 
question the usefulness and 
cost effectiveness, considering 
that it can’t get under the 
gums where most disease 
start. He says, “I recommend 
an annual prophylaxis 
cleaning, complemented by 
regular preventative care at 
home, which may include a 
combination of special food, 
chew toys, water treatments or 
other canine-friendly options.”

 When asked what he likes most 
about what he does, he stated, “I 
like helping the animals, my job 
is to serve as the pet’s doctor. He 
has invested heavily in qualified 
veterinary professionals, state-
of-the art technology and facility 
amenities to ensure the best 
possible care. Head nurse, Dana 
Mamary is an RVT (Registered 
Veterinary Technician) with 30 
years experience. She mentors 
five other nurses who assist with 
primary care. Orderlies assist 
with exercising, cleaning and 
staying in the facility overnight 
with animals recovering from 
surgery. A cozy, covered patio 
with seating is located off 
the main lobby to isolate an 
incoming patient who may have 
a contagious condition, from 
other patients. The facility has 
four private exam rooms, a full 
pharmacy, a large treatment 
room with separate work areas 
for up to three pets and an 
operating room. There are two 
separate recovery rooms, one 
for canines and another for 
felines.

 Several other rooms are 
outfitted with equipment for 
diagnosis and treatment. Some 
have the same technology 
found in hospitals for the 
care of humans, including a 
digital x-ray, digital dental 
x-ray, ultra sound, a therapy 
laser proven effective for 
wound care (including post-
surgical), arthritic pain and 
other applications. A General 
Electric “Dash 4000” monitor is 
mounted in the treatment room 
for the Dr. White and his team 
to monitor vital signs and other 
indicators when anesthesia 
and sensitive procedures are 
needed – the same model used 
in major hospitals. A rarity 
for a community veterinary 
hospital, they also have an in-
house laboratory equipped 
with Alera, a Reference Quality 
Lab Matching System and are 
one of only three hospitals in 
California to have this resource 
onsite.

 It is no surprise that 
Huntington Veterinary Hospital 
provides emergency services for 
Monrovia Animal Control when 
they find stray cats and dogs 
in need of medical attention. 
Most often, expenses for these 
services are simply donated by 
Dr. White. He also gives back 
by participating in the annual 
volunteer rabies vaccine clinic 
for dogs. The essence of the 
philosophy employed by Dr. 
White and his staff is (literally) 
written on the wall in the lobby 
of Huntington Veterinary 
Hospital, captured in a quote 
by Mohandas Gandhi, “The 
greatness of a nation and its 
moral progress can be judged by 
the way its animals are treated.”

Open from 8am – 6pm, M-Th-F: 
8am-8pm on Tuesdays: 8am 
– 1pm on Saturdays. Closed 
Sundays. Huntington Veterinary 
Hospital 535 W. Huntington Drive 
Monrovia (626) 357-2335, E-mail 
is info@huntvh.com. website: www.
huntingtonveterinaryhospital.com.

Dr. Gary R. White


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