FARGO (AP) - Veterinarian Carol Kurtyka doesn't wait for the animals to come to her.

Dressed in medical scrubs and towing equipment bags, she travels around the Fargo-Moorhead area to provide care and study pet behavioral problems. After 26 years as a local vet, she has left the clinic world behind to treat small animals in the comfort of their own homes.

"Certainly it's less stressful for these pets that just freak out when they go to the veterinary hospital," she said.

Michael Johnson, who has two kittens and recently took advantage of Kurtyka's services, said he once had a cat that would get sick after going to the vet clinic, so the home visits are a relief.

"These guys have the luxury of not having to leave the house and having their medical needs met right here," he said.

The convenience of mobile veterinarians is one reason why the industry is growing nationwide, said Shannon Stanek, president of the American Association of House Calls and Mobile Veterinarians. The organization has grown from 138 members to about 500 in the last seven years, she said.

For veterinarians, there are fewer startup costs with a mobile practice, and offering house calls also is a way to be competitive in the market, Stanek said.

"I think part of it is, as veterinarians, we're looking to provide better quality service and better care and, a lot of times, going into the home gives us that opportunity because we can take the time," said Stanek, who works in Exton, Pa.

Despite the national trend, veterinarians who treat small animals solely in their homes are rare in North Dakota and Minnesota.

The Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association knew of six mobile vets, primarily in the Twin Cities area. The North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association doesn't track mobile vets, though spokeswoman Debra Trnovec estimates they are "few and far between."

Kurtyka said her service charges are comparable to those of other vets in Fargo-Moorhead. She also adds a $48 house call fee.

"Most people are happy for the convenience and the less stress for their pet," she said.

Bob Elliott of Fargo, another mobile vet, said disadvantages are the driving time and the lack of services such as X-rays and diagnostic tests. But he said the practice of pet house calls harkens back to an earlier time.

"When I was growing up, we had our veterinarian we counted on to take care of us," he said. "We knew if something bad happened, he was going to make sure that we were all right."