""The Cat In Hat"" Remains in Good Hands While On The Pomona Set

Should the Cat In The Hat break his leg or need to get his temper shots,

he can always wander next door to the friendly veterinarian.

At least that’s the case for the next few days as Universal Studios films

its upcoming motion picture, “”The Cat In The Hat”” starring Mike Myers,

Alec Baldwin and Kelly Preston, in Pomona, Calif. — right next door to

Southern California’s first vet school at Western University of Health

Sciences.

“”It’s an uncanny coincidence,”” said Dr. Shirley Johnston, dean of the

College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University. “”We’ve been working

from the ground up on our innovative college the same way they did this

magnificent set.””

Sitting less than 100 yards from the colleges offices, the colorfully

constructed two-block set on Pomona’s Second Street was the product of

three months preparation.

In contrast, the College of Veterinary Medicine has been under preparation

for the past four years and will begin next fall as the first veterinary

school to open in the United States in more than 20 years with the first

woman veterinary dean in North America.

“”This whole set came together just the way we hoped it would, said Andy

Lipschultz, publicist for the production. “”It doesn’t surprise me that we

ended up shooting next to the only vet school in the Southland either,

this whole shoot has been a bunch of surprises.””

Both the College of Veterinary medicine and filmmakers working on the “”Cat

In the Hat”” are hoping to draw their first respective crowds next fall.

The school welcomes its first class of 77 students in August while the

movie is slated to premiere in November.