Barrington, N.H. – August 7, 2006 – Put 50 dogs and cats in a building every day and you can bet the fur will fly, unless you happen to be in the Animal Hospital of Barrington. Equipped with a Beam Central Vacuum System, problems with pet hair, dander and other allergens have become a thing of the past.

“There’s really no other way to keep it clean,” says Dave Harriton, the veterinarian who built the hospital located about one hour north of Boston. “I see 40 to 50 animals a day and the rooms are cleaned after each patient is seen.”

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), as many as 10 million of the 100 million Americans who own pets are allergic to their dogs and cats. Yet 80 percent of pet owners keep their pets inside the home, triggering sneezing, itching, watery eyes, runny nose and a variety of other allergic reactions.

“The number one complaint we have about pets is the shedding,” says Harriton. “A good central vacuum system is the best way to eliminate that problem.”

The same deep cleaning and allergen-reducing capability that makes Beam Central Vacuum Systems appealing to veterinarians also makes them ideal for pet owners’ homes, notes Larry Hartley, Beam’s marketing director.

In fact, numerous allergy physicians and environmental organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say the use of central vacuum systems may help some patients live comfortably with pets in the home. Because they exhaust no air into the room that can stir up pet dander and other allergens and completely remove contacted allergens from the living area, central vacuum systems significantly reduce exposure to animal dander, dust mites and other allergens. A recent clinical study at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine found allergic rhinitis symptoms improved 40 to 60 percent when patients used a Beam Central Vacuum System instead of a portable vacuum to clean their homes.

An added benefit is quiet cleaning performance. Susan Lowe, office manager of Broadview Animal Hospital in Rochester, N.H., also installed a central vacuum system when they built their new facility in 2004. The busy practice with four veterinarians seeing patients every day required a system that would clean the facility throughout the day without disturbing doctors, patients and pet owners.

“We wanted to have a quiet system to keep the reception area and exam rooms clean,” Lowe says.

Tom Auger, owner of Auger & Sons, Rochester, installed the Beam Central Vacuum Systems, as well as KickSweep™ Automatic DustPans in each of the veterinary practices. For quick cleanups, the hospital staff sweeps pet hair and other debris to the KickSweep opening at the base of the wall, presses the toe switch and the dirt, hair and dander are wisked away.

“I wouldn’t think of running a veterinary office without it,” Harriton says.

Headquartered in Webster City, Iowa, Beam Industries is a division of Electrolux Home Care Products, Ltd., and is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of central vacuum systems. Beam products are sold in more than 45 countries around the world.