FLORENCE A local veterinarian was recently lauded as a "Best Vet" from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals. She was one of 15 chosen from more than 115 nominations for doing "extraordinary things."
By:David Koch
Sharon Johnson of Trenton received notice of the award in the Winter, 2000 issue of Animal Watch, a magazine written by the ASPCA
She cares for animals at Paws N’ Claws on Route 130 in Florence, which she opened in August of 2000.
She was nominated for the award by her sister, Karen, who wrote to Animal Watch about her sister’s rescue of two puppies, Ashley and Lilly, over Christmas 1997 from a pound in Trenton.
Ashley was a 5-month-old German shepherd mix who had been set on fire by local kids.
"They were very ill; they needed attention," said Karen Johnson. "She took them along. She felt responsible."
Dr. Johnson took the puppies on vacation to Florida.
"Sundowner (Dr. Johnson’s dog) and Ashley traveled in separate cages in Dr. Johnson’s van, and Lilly traveled in a blanket-lined basket next to the driver’s seat, where she could receive immediate attention," wrote Ms. Johnson in the Animal Watch article about her sister.
Lilly now belongs to a family in Bordentown, and Ashley has found a home with a family in Pennsylvania. The Johnson sisters have had a history of taking in stray animals.
Dr. Johnson remembers her mother getting upset when she would bring home the class rat from school for the weekend.
Today, Dr. Johnson and her sister have seven cats, three dogs, and a ferret at home.
"I love animals," said Dr. Johnson. "I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian ever since I was 7."
Dr. Johnson graduated with a veterinarian’s degree from Texas A&M in 1989. She worked in Texas for about a year, and then moved to Atlantic City, where she worked for about three years. After working at the pound in Trenton, she opened her own business in Florence.
The hardest part of her job, she said, is putting animals to sleep. Although the process is painless for the animals, it’s very difficult for Dr. Johnson.
"It takes a lot out of you," said Dr. Johnson. "A lot of times, it’s the hardest thing you can do."
