Rural Vet Clinic In Peril After Fire

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A western Minnesota town is rallying behind a veterinarian after she lost nearly everything in a fire.

Back in June, a fire destroyed the Appleton Veterinary Clinic. A puppy was trapped inside and also died.

Veterinarian Rachel Bakeberg also lost thousands of dollars in medical equipment.

"I always get asked, 'What's the best part of my job?' It's the variety, it really is," Bakeberg said.

From house dogs, to deer, to great horned owls -- Bakeberg has had a hand in helping them all.

But in June, the practice she's grown to love fell victim to a fire.

"If it wasn't burnt, it was melted," she said. "If it wasn't melted, it was so soot-covered and corroded. Anything metal, stainless steel."

An electrical problem was to blame, and her business wasn't the only victim.

Despite their best efforts and after rescuing other pets, firefighters couldn't save a puppy inside.

"It was the worst part," Bakeberg said. "All this other stuff, it's just stuff. But that's my job, that's my life. I've devoted my life to saving anything I can."

And now she's being forced to save her business. Insurance got her a new building, but a mistake in the policy didn't cover all the inventory she lost.

What she's working with now is a shell of what she had before. She's missing surgical equipment, monitoring equipment and she figures she's about $150,000 short of where she was.

"I never would have allowed that to happen had I known," Bakeberg said.

She's had to lease over $80,000 in equipment just to keep her clinic going. But she isn't sure how she'll pay for it.

And that has her clients worried.

"In a rural community with farm animals and pets and everything, she's invaluable," said Sherry Hastings, who takes her dogs to the clinic.

A 5K run was held a few months ago to help Bakeberg raise some money. But, trying to balance a love for her animals with a future that's uncertain, Bakeberg's fallen behind

"I never want to ever experience that or have anyone experience that again," she said.

Bakeberg bought the clinic in 2005, so she thinks she was under-insured for the past 10 years.

If you would like to donate to help save her clinic, click here.