Mangled mats get brand-new life

The Davis Animal Hospital in Naples, Fla., uses rubber mats in every large cage to provide pets with padding and stability. However, a rambunctious boarder made short order of these mats, chewing off the outside edging on every single one. So technician Shawna Tews embraced the notion of waste not, want not. "I simply cut the mats down to a smaller size, and now we put them on the countertops and exam-room tables so animals don't slip and slide," Tews says. "You can't even tell the mats were once torn to shreds, and they help dramatically."