Hello everyone! It’s Gretchen here again. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog, but today is a very special day. It’s our first anniversary! One year ago today, October 4, 2023, we opened our doors to begin serving the pets and people of Grimes and the surrounding area. It has been an exciting year full of challenges, but just as many blessings. We’ve certainly had some sad moments, but all the happy moments are what keep us going.
In October, shortly after we opened, we held our Grand Opening. We appreciated each and every one of you who stopped by to meet us and welcome us to the community. In November, we starting working with the DCG school district’s School to Work Program, and welcomed Sophie, an enthusiastic high school senior as an intern. It is her goal to become a veterinarian someday. In December, we had our ribbon cutting ceremony with the Grimes Chamber of Commerce. The holidays came and went, then in January, we had a huge snowstorm. On that day, we had just one patient, an adorable, rambunctious yellow Labrador puppy, who came in for his first vet visit and vaccines. His mom and dad braved the terrible weather to come and see us, and that just made our day. That lab puppy is all grown up now, still rambunctious, and handsome as ever.
In February, I had to say goodbye to my own dog. Bailey was a beautiful 10 year old Boxer, who my husband and I had adopted from a rescue in 2016. She had a type of metastatic cancer that often goes undetected until it is far too late. Dr. Allison was there for me that night, and helped Bailey cross over to the Rainbow Bridge. I will never forget Dr. Allison’s honesty, professionalism, and compassion in those moments, and I can never thank her enough for being there for us when we so desperately needed her help. In March, with spring just around the corner, we began preparing for flea, tick and heartworm season. The weather in Iowa the last few years has been crazy, and we had already pulled a tick off a dog in February. That is why we advise our clients to keep their animals on flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives all year long. In April, we welcomed our vet assistant, Riley. She is (in her own words) “annoyingly organized” and has really helped us put the finishing touches on our little clinic. Riley is caring, extremely knowledgeable, and fun to work with. We are so lucky to have her on our staff! In May, Sophie graduated from high school and began working full time here for the summer. She helped with everything from surgeries to lab work, and even mopping the floor. She’s got a great work ethic and it shows!
In June, we participated in the Grimes Governors Days Parade. It was so much fun seeing everyone along the parade route, including some of our clients. In July, we took many phone calls about animals that have anxiety from the 4th of July fireworks. We prescribed a lot of anxiety medications that week! In August, Sophie had to leave us to start college. We were sad to see her go, but we are so excited that she is following her dreams to become a veterinarian. And in September, I celebrated my first anniversary of working here. I have learned so much in the past year! Being able to work with animals is my dream job and I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
And last but not least, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of our dear clients! We couldn’t have done this without your support. Every single person who walked through our doors, we appreciate you so much, and we thank you for trusting us with your pet’s care. We look forward to seeing what the coming years bring. So, here’s to many more years!