MARSHALL - It was about family, veterinarian Brenda Evans said of the decision to open a clinic in Marshall. Not just her own family, but the chance to get to know clients' families, both human and four-legged.
"It's like being a family doctor," Evans said of her job. "You first see the animals when they come in as puppies or kittens, and you get to know them, and you build relationships with the families, too."
With the opening of Evans Family Pet Care last week on East Lyon Street, Evans said she thought the connection-building was off to a good start.
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Photo by Deb Gau
Veterinarian Brenda Evans gives Izzie the dog a checkup in one of the clinic’s examination rooms, while Katie Blanchette helps hold her steady.
"We opened on Monday, and already we've had quite a few people come in," she said.
Evans has worked in the area for several years, as a small animal vet at the Tri-County Veterinary Clinic in Taunton. She is still helping out there part-time, she said, but opening her own clinic in Marshall will make it easier to balance work and family.
The clinic building used to be an office, Evans said, so some renovations had to be done to turn it into a veterinary clinic. Walls were built to make exam rooms and a surgical room.
"It's been a learning experience for me. I'd never done remodeling before," Evans said of the renovation process. But the finished clinic space will be welcoming for clients, and hopefully for the patients as well.
"It's cozy. We want it to be friendly," Evans said.
Evans Family Pet Care is a full-service veterinary clinic, Evans said.
"We do shots, dental care, spays and neuters. We can do minor orthopedics like setting a broken bone. We can do x-rays and ultrasound," she said.
The clinic is equipped for procedures like blood tests and minor surgery, and Evans also installed a new digital x-ray machine.
"There are no cassettes, where you'd have to wait for the x-ray to develop," Evans said, and the machine is flexible enough that there's no need for repeated x-ray exposures. "You can see the scans in seconds."
The clinic also has a small retail area for food, toys and other dog and cat supplies.
Evans said she is planning to hold a grand opening in January, but so far there have already been clients in need of a check-up for their cat or shots for a new puppy.
"It's been a lot of word of mouth . . . it's enough for us to get our feet wet."
Evans said she and her staff will be looking forward to getting to work with new clients.
"It's a huge range of emotions. It's very exciting," she said of opening the clinic.