From India to Canada to the Central Valley, a new veterinarian in Hanford with an unlikely career path said she's happy to be settled in Hanford where the weather is warm and the traffic is light.

Dr. Manjinder Bal, the new veterinarian at Lacey Animal Hospital on West Lacey Boulevard, said pets are part of the family these days, and she enjoys making her four-legged clients feel good, and in doing so, making pet owners feel good.

"If we can bring happiness in the eyes of a child, or of a family, we are doing something good," she said.

Bal attended college and veterinary school in India at the Punjab Agricultural University, also pursuing post-graduate studies in veterinary public health, studying diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans, and vice-versa, she said.

In 2003, she moved to Toronto, Canada, where she lived with her husband, Baljit Bal, and pursued further studies in veterinary medicine. But she didn't agree with the weather.

"I've seen the snow of Canada, and didn't like it, shoveling for half an hour before you go anywhere in the mornings," she said.

From Toronto, she moved to Sacramento, then to Fresno. She then got a job offer at Lacey Animal Hospital, and has been in Hanford for two months.

"It's a fast-growing town, but it's away from the hustle-and-bustle and too much traffic of Sacramento," she said. "And the weather's good, so I like it."

She has seen her daily case load drop from the mid-30s to around 20, meaning she has more time to spend with each animal.

While the work is rewarding, it doesn't come without heartache. Informing pet owners of incurable diseases is the most challenging aspect of the job, Bal said.

"The worst thing is euthanasia," she said. "It's hard when we have to do it even if we don't want to, even if we see the family in tears in front of us."

One disease that is more prevalent in Hanford than other places she has worked is parvovirus, a highly contagious and deadly disease for dogs that can be prevented through vaccination.

Perhaps a lack of knowledge, a lack of vaccinations and a rural lifestyle where pet owners may not take dogs in for regular check-ups contributes to parvo's prevalence, she said.

As for her goals, Bal said she wants to be a successful mother for her 3-year-old daughter, Jasleen. Professionally, she hopes to continue her studies into animal orthopedics.

As for her own pets, Bal said she doesn't have the time right now, between raising her daughter and working full time.

"I see so many pets here, so I just say all the pets are mine," she said.

The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3043.

(Sept. 7, 2007)