Dr. Dan Pate, owner of West Rome Animal Clinic, is answering the questions for today’s Small Business Snapshot.

What is the primary purpose of your business? Small animal veterinary medicine, surgery, boarding, and grooming.

What is your business background? I earned my Bachelor of Business from Wofford College and my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia.

Why did you start this particular business? By pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, I was able to combine the use of my business degree with my interest in medicine and my love for animals.

What makes your business unique? What makes our practice unique is our caring and knowledgeable staff. Our goal is to provide the best possible care for both our patients and clients. We recognize all animals as God’s creatures, to be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. We focus on treating the entire patient and their well being, rather than a singular ailment. By providing services in general medicine, surgery, dental health, nutrition, and flea and parasite prevention, our staff is able to present a tailor made medical program for each individual patient.

There are two veterinarians at West Rome Animal Clinic. In addition to myself, Dr. Susan Fitzpatrick has been a member of our clinic staff since 1999. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a knowledgeable and compassionate veterinarian with a special interest in internal medicine. My passion is soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. Together, we are able to combine and utilize our talents and experiences to work as a team. We strive to decrease suffering and increase the quality of our patient’s lives.

West Rome Animal Clinic is an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited veterinary practice. Only fifteen percent of small animal veterinary clinics have achieved AAHA accreditation. With this honor, we are held to the highest possible standard of veterinary care and client satisfaction.

What do you enjoy most about your chosen profession? I thoroughly enjoy communicating with our clients. I want clients to leave the clinic knowledgeable and informed about their pet’s condition and treatment plan. Our staff strives to provide the client and patient with a positive and caring experience. By acting as a team, we are able to ensure a healthy and prosperous life for the patient.

What has been the biggest or most interesting challenge to overcome as a small business owner? Today’s economic climate has been difficult for many families and small business owners. At West Rome Animal Clinic, we want to provide our patients and clients with the highest standard in veterinary care at the best possible value. We want to exceed our client’s expectations while being fiscally responsible.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Our clinic is pleased to offer state of the art veterinary equipment and diagnostic tools. Some of these tools include: digital x-ray, laboratory equipment, Co2 laser, electrocautery tools, and modern dental and monitoring equipment. This equipment allows us to provide the most advanced and comprehensive veterinary care available.

We also provide boarding and grooming services. Our boarding facilities are available for reservation 365 days a year and offer the cleanest of settings. Our kennel staff cares for our patients as if they were their own pets. After hours, we have a “night nurse” who comes in to give treatments and extra walks. We provide professional grooming services once a week. We are able to groom all breeds of dogs and cats in many classical and fashionable styles. We enjoy caring for our patients and look forward to their arrival.

We are proud of our mentoring program. Every year, we hire several Berry College and Shorter University students that are interested in veterinary medicine. To date, 15 of our student employees have been accepted into various graduate schools of veterinary medicine.

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