Helping others comes naturally to Dr. Rick Germano. Whether in the U.S. or abroad, the dedicated veterinarian is making life better and healthier for animals. “I receive personal satisfaction in helping both animals and people,” says Dr. Germano, owner of Armonk Veterinary Hospital since 2008.
Dr. Germano’s 24-year career recently came full circle. Thirty years ago, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, living in a remote village 20 kilometers from Mt. Kilimanjaro. In May, Dr. Germano returned to Kenya with a group of twelve veterinarians and their support staff through Vet Treks. They are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build veterinary capacity in underserved areas through education and the provision of essential implements of practice to local veterinarians, and eradicating rabies in Africa by 2030.
“I was excited to be returning to Kenya especially as a veterinarian,” says Dr. Germano who served a ten-day stint in a variety of roles. “I performed free spay and neuter surgeries, administered free rabies vaccines to cats, dogs, and donkeys, and taught Kenyan veterinarians and veterinary students how to run efficient high-volume spay and neuter campaigns with limited resources.”
According to Dr. Germano, the majority of animal care in Kenya is handled by government veterinarians and provided mostly for livestock. “There are few private veterinarians focusing on dogs and cats. We performed surgery on approximately 300 cats and dogs and vaccinated over 700 animals. Almost all of the dogs were undernourished and covered in fleas and ticks,” he says, adding, “Our partners on this campaign, the Kenyan SPCA, try to fill the gap the best they can when it comes to companion animal care.”
Returning after thirty years, Dr. Germano noted certain aspects of Kenya had changed. “The people were the same and the further we traveled from the city, the more it seemed like time stood still,” says Dr. Germano, glad that the Kenyan’s attitude toward dogs and cats is slowly changing for the better. “Dogs have traditionally been viewed as work animals and relegated to living outside and on the periphery of the household. As time goes on, Kenyans are taking care of dogs and cats more like pets, similar to how we do here.”
Dr. Germano first visited Kenya in 1991 for one semester as an undergraduate at Tufts University. “Before and after that semester, I completed two courses in Swahili. When the Peace Corps assigned me the country in which I’d volunteer, Kenya was a logical choice because of my experience with Swahili,” he explains, asking to serve in a locale where only Swahili was spoken. “Not only did I have an understanding of the language and culture, but experience in conducting development work in Kenya and the knowledge of how to navigate the challenges that come with it.”
Dr. Germano was in a rural village called Taveta located on the border with Tanzania. It was so remote that you needed to travel two hours across a national park with lions, hyaena, elephants, and giraffes.”
That experience inspired Dr. Germano to continue working in rural communities. “I wanted to help people with their livelihoods, and helping with their animals was the most interesting way for me to do so. As I had always wanted to be a veterinarian, the next logical step was veterinary school,” he says. While in veterinary school at Cornell, he worked with rural farmers in upstate New York and as a mixed animal veterinarian treating cows, horses, dogs and cats before moving to Westchester. At Armonk Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Germano specializes in general practice medicine and surgery for dogs and cats.
Outside of work, Dr. Germano shares life with his wife, Kay, and daughter, Sophia, 15, along with two beagles, a coonhound, an eight-week-old golden retriever, two horses, and six chickens.
Dr. Germano is looking forward to playing a larger role with Vet Treks and being involved in the administration of the organization. “After thirty years of work as a veterinarian, I never dreamed I’d be able to revisit the work I did as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya.”
As man’s best friend, dogs have a special place in our hearts and always will. They’re not just pets, but cherished family members. There isn’t much in the world that we won’t do for our canine companions, and nobody understands that better than Tyler Zuckerman and his team at Pleasant Grooming. For nearly thirty years, they have been the local go-to resource for any/all dog-care needs including training, grooming, bathing, daycare and overnight kenneling. Through genuine care and attention to detail, they’ve also become a beloved and trustworthy pillar of the community.
The facilities are top of the line with high-end bedding and equipment, kept extremely clean, attentively supervised 24/7, and temperature controlled. It’s very clear from speaking to Zuckerman and seeing the space in person that their top priority is to keep all of the dogs as happy and comfortable as possible – he even requires that dogs come in and experience the daycare facilities at least three times before any overnight stays. It’s abundantly clear that this level of care and attention to detail has helped this business thrive.
When asked about specific approaches to training, Zuckerman quickly emphasized the value of repetition and consistency, especially when it comes to younger puppies. “A lot of people think that they’re getting training done when someone comes to their house once a week and that’s not really addressing the issue,” he explained, “They’re more training the owner on how to train the dog.” One focused session per week is not enough to establish a foundation of desired behaviors, and definitely not enough to eliminate undesired ones.
Nothing says fall like apple picking as the leaves turn orange and the temperature cools. With autumn eagerly approaching, now’s the perfect time to plan a visit to one of the many festive orchards nearby. Here’s a look at what some of the best farms in Westchester are offering this fall season!