The Animal Rural Klinic, a mobile veterinary service equipped with not only nail clippers but also quarterly shots for the animals of Tombstone families, offers local pet owners a low-cost veterinary option.

The mobile clinic, started by veterinarian Pam Brambert, visited the town for the second time on Dec. 3.

The clinic, which is based out of Vail, Ariz., offers affordable vaccines, such as rabies shots, for local pets in the Tombstone area who find it difficult to come up with the money and means to visit places such as the Apache Veterinary Clinic in Sierra Vista.

“At Apache you have to pay for a full physical, we’re on a fixed income and our cat is 10 years old. This is close by and cheaper,” said Laurie Kalish who brought in her cat, Frisco, for vaccination.

Apache Veterinary Clinic estimates that a yearly vaccination could cost around $87.

In addition to high costs, comments left on the Apache Veterinary Clinic’s website complained about long waits.

The mobile clinic began in July 2008 with spay and neutering services but has extended to vaccinations. The clinic’s operators also hope to start dental deals at the beginning of 2010.

“I heard that there weren’t a lot of vets doing clinics in Cochise County so I decided to start [the mobile] clinic up,” Brambert said.

In association with Cochise County Animal Control, Brambert and two technicians and volunteers from the Tombstone Animal Shelter help with the animal clinics that come to Tombstone, Willcox and Elfrida every three months.

Volunteer Sue Furnas said she decided to get involved with the project because she saw the work of both Turner and the local shelter.

“I think (the clinic) is fantastic! It’s a lot more inexpensive to get (these) vaccines,” Furnas said.

The biggest advantage of a mobile clinic is the fact that it can go to places that are isolated like Tombstone and offer necessary services for pets that only need the basics, Brambert said.

In the first hour of the clinic, the vet and technician gave around 40 shots. Vaccinations started at $15 and did not exceed $30. This is compared to the $45 that Apache Veterinary charges for a physical – not including vaccination.

The clinic came to Tombstone in response to the large number of requests for services, said Kay Towner, president of the Tombstone Animal Shelter. She said 25 miles is too far to drive to the nearest veterinary clinic.

Because Tombstone’s shelter has a no-kill policy, Towner said she believe the clinics will start growing more popular and be able to continue helping to keep the town’s pets alive and well.

The clinic should start regular visits to Tombstone every three months starting in 2010 to make sure pets receive their quarterly vaccinations, Turner said.

The next mobile clinic appearance is scheduled for sometime in January and a holiday event will be take place at the Tombstone Animal Shelter on Saturday, Dec. 12.