<p>Nearly 61 thousand households in Anchorage have pets. That works out to about 105 thousand dogs and 88 thousand cats. That’s a lot of animals — and a lot of animal waste. And pet ownership doesn’t just impact the people who live with the creatures. Caring for pets is both challenging and rewarding for veterinarians and their staff, too. This week on Hometown, Alaska, we’re talking to veterinarians about their mental health and pet care basics as well as taking a trip to the dog park to see how your actions affect everyone downstream.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>HOST: </strong><a href="https://alaskapublic.org/about/people/anne-hillman/" target="_blank"><strong>Anne Hillman</strong></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>GUESTS:</strong></p><p><strong>Dr. Judy Montalbano</strong> and <strong>Dr. Tracy Ward</strong>, veterinarians, The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association</p><p><strong>Cherie Northon</strong>, Anchorage Waterways Council, Executive Director</p><p><br></p><p><strong>LINKS:</strong></p><p><a href="https://akvma.org/" target="_blank">The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association</a></p><p><a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control" target="_blank">ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435</a></p><p><a href="https://www.anchoragecreeks.org/" target="_blank">Anchorage Waterways Council</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>BROADCAST:</strong> Monday, May 8th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT</p><p><strong>REPEAT BROADCAST:</strong> Monday, May 8th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT</p>