By MARIEKE ANDRONACHE

Special to The Press

They are named after the sun, representing longevity and hope.

They are everywhere, from the actual flowers to pictures of dogs and cats in sunflower fields, at the new Sunflower Veterinary Center in Fogelsville.

“It’s named in memory of my mom,” Dr. Stacey Scanlon DVM said. “My mom, Imogene Dietrich, unexpectedly passed away six years ago.

“In memory of her, my dad, Bill Dietrich, plants fields and fields and fields of sunflowers up in the Germansville area.

Dietrich’s 25 acres of sunflower fields are so popular on social media that people come from all over the valley to take pictures of themselves among the blooms.

He harvests the sunflowers for bird seed, selling them to the local feed mill.

Profits go to a scholarship fund at Northwestern Lehigh High School.

Growing up in New Tripoli and Germansville, Scanlon has always had a love for animals.

A member of 4-H, she showed cows and pigs at fairs, including The Great Allentown Fair.

“I’ve always had a desire to help animals and learn about them, Scanlon said. “I love learning about anatomy and physiology, and the medicine behind it.”

Graduating as student marshal in spring 2002 from the College of Agricultural Science, Scanlon earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ohio State University in 2006.

Starting as a dairy veterinarian, Scanlon would go on to change career paths to small animal medicine and surgery.

She has set-up her practice in Fogelsville, located at Lehigh Hills Shopping Center.

She has a staff of three: Head Veterinary Technician Renee Somishka, Veterinary Technician Assistant Hannah Fam and Head Receptionist Elizabeth Ingersoll.

Scanlon understands one’s emotions toward a pet and how they become part of the family.

It’s part of the reason choosing the right veterinarian practice is so vital for so many.

Her approach to those who place their trust in her with their pets is simple.

“If they were my mom, what would I recommend for them,” she explained. “My mom didn’t have medical knowledge - kind of breaking it down.”

It’s important for Scanlon to be able to say, “This is what I recommend” and provide options to the patient.

“We try and be down to earth,” she explained.

As for insurance and costs, Scanlon and her staff are open to finding options to help.

She wants to ensure that is not a deterrent for someone to consider her practice.

Veterinary Center hours are: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays: closed, Wednesdays; 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays: 8 a.m.-4.p.m. Fridays: and 9 a.m.- noon (based on availability).

Her email address is info@sunflowervetcenter.com.

The office phone number is 484-273-4299.

Scanlon and her staff are inviting members of the community to the Sunflower Veterinary Center’s open house, 7727 Glenlivet Drive, West Unit C, Fogelsville, from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 12.

There will be snacks, balloon animals and more.