For Dr. Brenda Forsythe, the 10-year span between Orcutt Veterinary Hospital’s grand opening and its decade anniversary celebration on Sept. 17 was like the blink of an eye.
“It’s just so exciting,” she told the Sun. “The time just flew by.”
The animal care hospital has definitely grown since it opened. Chief veterinary assistant Jen Martin and office manager Gabriele Paxton have been there from the beginning, so they have seen that growth firsthand.
“We started off with like no clientele,” Paxton said, adding that the hospital had fewer staff at that time as well. “It was just a handful of us, but it’s grown now to a two-doctor practice and our clientele is big—we’ve got 6,000 clients now—and we are busy all the time.”
The full-service practice—housed in a 7,000-square foot building at 4869 S. Bradley Road in Orcutt—offers basic and behavioral care, surgery, “doggie daycare,” as well as pet boarding and grooming for dogs and cats.
And as Paxton pointed out, the hospital takes all it can handle on a daily basis.
“This job is high stress, it can be life or death, and it can take a toll on you,” Forsythe said. “But I think we have a real cooperative team where everyone cares about the clients and animals—there really are no weak links in this chain right now.”
Martin said chemistry between the 10-person staff was essential.
“We do a lot of things closely with each other so you have to be able to get along. If you don’t it’s never going to work,” she added. “But we learn something every day—it’s never really the same thing either—and we all are definitely affected by the animals.”
The result is a staff that has excellent rapport with pet owners and, most importantly, the patients.
Forsythe described the patients and their owners as more than just customers.
“I think we are part of their family for those that stuck with us,” she explained. “I mean, we have people coming in that came in that very first year and are still coming back, and you know they are definitely family to us.”
That special level of care extends beyond just walk-ins and scheduled patients. Forsythe and the hospital are active supporters of the Santa Maria Animal Shelter and the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, as well as smaller organizations like Goleta-based Care 4 Paws, a nonprofit that focuses on animal overpopulation and prevention methods to keep them out of shelters.
Additionally, Forsythe is chair of the animal welfare committee for the California Veterinary Medical Association and is on the same committee for the American Veterinary Medical Association. She is also leadership council chairperson for the Humane Society.
Forsythe said that type of involvement shouldn’t be unusual.
“If you don’t do anything, nothing changes,” she said. “It’s only by getting involved and volunteering some time and energy that anything changes in the world, and I think animals need more advocates and help.
“My mission is to try to help all animals, not just those that have a wallet attached,” she added. “Everything we can do to help all the animals in our community, we try to do.”
Highlights:
• Santa Maria’s Red Lobster received the company’s most prestigious honor this month, the Lighthouse Club Award. Out of 700 locations, Santa Maria’s performed in the top 5 percent of the company, and was one of 32 restaurants recognized at Red Lobster’s annual leadership conference. General Manager Yolanda Staples accepted the award on behalf of her team.
Staff Writer Spencer Cole wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information can be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2017.