Pets-R-Great.org | Forum | Magazine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Prev.  For the Animals by Hunter Lee Elliott I recently adopted a stray cat I named Rosco. When I adopted him Rosco was in need of everything so I spoke with a few veterinarians about getting Rosco up to date on all his shots and having him fixed. My mom suggested I call her veterinarian who has helped her with a cat rescue she and my Aunt put together. I called Dr. Ansede’s office and spoke with Carrolyn, the head nurse, about Rosco and what he needed. She was able to help me get Rosco in to see the doctor quickly and the cost was very reasonable. I arrived at Dr. Ansede’s office early one morning with Rosco, walking in I liked the feel of the office right away. The lady at the counter was pleasant and as she went to get the head nurse I had a quick look around. There was plenty of informative posters on the walls in regards to animals as well as a community bulletin board. I saw pictures of animals and their owners all about the office walls, along with Dr. Ansede’s credentials. Carrolyn showed up and took Rosco and I to the examination room where she examined a very scared cat. She informed me about Rosco's needs, what my options were, what I could avoid, and the cost. I was impressed by the way Carrolyn handled everything and treated me like we had been friends for years. That put me at ease right away but poor Rosco was not quite so calm. I left feeling very confident in the abilities of Rosco’s new doctor. I called later that afternoon and learned that everything went perfect and Rosco was doing well. I picked him up that afternoon and he has been great every since. I received a couple of follow up calls and a free follow up visit a week later to be sure everything was as it should be. Carrolyn and Dr. Ansede were great to deal with and so reasonable I was prompted to do a story on him, his staff, and practice. Upon my follow up visit I mentioned this to Carrolyn and she sat that in motion. I met with Dr. Ansede on a Friday afternoon to speak with him a few minutes about his theory on animal care and his practice. A little history on “Dr. Frank”. Many clients refer to him by his first name because his Spanish surname is tricky to pronounce. He graduated from Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995, interned at Red Bank Animal Hospital Referral Center in New Jersey for a year. He practiced for several years in his birthplace in New Jersey and moved down to North Carolina in 1998. He was doing relief work in Charlotte North Carolina when he found out the clinic he is located now became available. The clinic was a spay/neuter office that was relocating. He and his wife Michelle made the decision to give it a try. I know for a fact there are a lot of folks in Raleigh (myself included) that are grateful. Dr. Frank stayed with his brother in Cary in order to get his new family run practice off the ground. His home in Charlotte was on the market and trying to find a suitable residence in Raleigh. I asked Dr. Ansede how he was able to keep his costs so low. He told me that he is very hands on in his office helping clean cages, look after the animals, answer the phone, and so on. Tasks other vets may consider out of their job description. This allows Dr. Ansede to keep his staff and overhead low. Dr. Frank told me he keeps an eye on the current economy and factors that in his business plan.                                                                                                    His example was if someone was affected by the bad economy and were living on a tight budget, he would offer options like payment plans, step by step services (instead of doing it all at once), and even float checks.  Just because you are hurt by the economy should you have to give up your pet or ignore their health care? I think not I will admit the good doctor works like a dog (bad pun intended) and spends a lot of time running his practice as it should be. His wife Michele (the office manager) recognized me right off and immediately asked about Rosco. We had a nice visit and she gave me tips on trying to get Rosco and Leroy (my other cat) to get along a little better. Chantel, another lady that works with Dr. Ansede was there as well and doing a fine job. Dr. Frank has many pets himself including dogs, cats, and horses. He strikes me as one of those good souls that does this more to help the animals than to try and get rich, that is evident in all the programs he participates in through the SPCA helping animals and owners. All in all I was very satisfied with the way I was treated by all in the office (Carroll is a gem) and I would highly recommend any one in the area to stop by and see Dr. Ansede. I know I have a new Vet for all my animals. * Editors Note: Photo Changed For Discussion  and Comments Click Here To Visit Dr. Ansede Click Here 4