Canines, felines continue to stroll to Ivor
Published 4:03 pm Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Left, Sadie, a 3-year-old Doberman pinscher, looks at the camera. Behind are her owner, Erika Davis, left, and Dr. Alicia Gerald of the Ivor Veterinary Clinic. Sadie was brought in to check for a urinary tract infection; center, Sassy, a 12-week-old golden retriever, just left from a visit with Dr. Gerald, but doesn’t seem ready to leave with her owner, Irma Morrill of Windsor; right, Kuma, a 4-year-old Akita, gets weighed in. Her owner, at right, is Michelle Shannon of Wakefield. — STEPHEN H. COWLES | TIDEWATER NEWS
IVOR—Dr. Alicia Gerald still has her pulse on the paws of her clients.
About a year ago, she bought Ivor Veterinary Clinic from Dr. John Bensenhaver, who decided to retire from practice. Gerald wasn’t coming from nowhere, though.
She had already been working with him starting in 2011, after answering an ad. That’s the same year that Gerald earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine.
Though obviously experienced in taking care of cats and dogs, there were challenges to be expected in fully running such an office.
“Just managing the place, keeping everything in stock and up to date,” Gerald remembered. “Then for the first few months, people would ask, ‘Where’s Dr. John?’ Now it’s more, ‘How is Dr. John?’”
And how is he?
“He’s staying busy,” she said.
The same can be said for her. In addition to treating the critters, there’s also the work of expanding the business. Gerald and her staff have been using emails, texts, Facebook and the clinic’s website — www.ivorvetclinic.com, which is maintained by Erika Davis, one of two vet assistants.
“When I started I had about 250 clients, now about 320,” Gerald estimated.
Also continuing to assist are Jamie Starnes, another vet assistant, and Tabitha Raines, receptionist. For the summer, Jamie Harver is lending a hand. But for the fall, she’ll return to school as a student of human medicine.
The majority of the clients are dogs, said Gerald. The practice has also added new equipment within the past year. There’s a new dental machine for cleaning teeth and, if necessary, extractions.
For operations that require anesthesia, a surgical monitor keeps track of a patient’s blood pressure, oxygen and the like.
When Gerald’s not attending to the animals who bring in their owners, then she’s taking care of her own set of pets at the home in Sedley belonging to her and her husband, Martin. They attend to four felines, Inky, Blinky, Pokey and Clyde, all named after the Pac-Man characters. Then there are two dogs, Taz and Mischa.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Saturday of each month.
To schedule an appointment, call 859-6415. You can also visit either the website at www.ivorvetclinic.com or go to the Facebook page. The clinic is located at 8290 Main St., Ivor.
