. family life .
DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFERS CARING PET CARE
A Home-Like Environment Puts Cats, Dogs and Their Owners At Ease
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our-legged family members will feel at home immersed in a variety of couches, floor level windows and friendly smiles at District Veterinary. The practices third and newest location (801 2nd St. SE) opened last month in the Navy Yard, and their caring staff are looking forward to meeting all the neighborhood cats and dogs. Dr. Dan Teich, the owner of District Vet, has been in the Washington metro area for nearly 20 years practicing veterinary medicine.
by Sarah Payne er said. “It's just less scary than having to be lifted onto a table when you don't know what's happening as a patient.” Creating a safe space for cats and dogs is at the forefront of the clinic design, Walker said.
each patient and client are more than a number. “I opened District Vet to treat the clients and pets like I would want my dog to be treated if I took him to the vet,” Teich said. “And I look at that every single day.” Teich said he meets with his staff every morning to talk about the incoming patients and how to make the experience smooth for the patients as well as their owners. “The biggest goal of District Vet is to recognize veterinary medicine is not one size fits all,” Walker said. “EvThe Clinic ery client is different, every patient is “I want your pet to think that they've different, and so we just want to fit their walked into a living room,” Teich said. needs.” “When they arrive, I want them to feel Visiting the Location like they're at home. I want them to feel Teich said the community rethat we're their friends and their neighsponse has been “extremely heartbors because we are.” warming” and expressed gratitude to In addition to floor level windows the Navy Yard community. He emphafor the patients, each treatment room sized that the clinic is always looking to is equipped with glass doors for ownimprove through feedback and a coners to easily keep an eye on their pets. tinuous open dialogue with the comTeich said this is important, not only to munity. include owners in their pet’s care, but “You need us and we need you,” also to maintain a high level of transTeich said. “It's a partnership, and if parency within the practice. people have suggestions, if they have Teich’s own golden retriever, Briideas, if they want a service, if they have an, inspired much of the design of the a problem, we want to know. We're Navy Yard clinic. “When we built it, I open to continually improving what looked at it from his perspective,” Teiwe do and how we do it.” Staff at District Veterinary at the New Navy Yard location. Photo: Dan Teisch. ch said of the clinic. To make an appointment, you can Dr. Dani Walker, the medical dicall (202-888-2090), stop in to the lorector for the new location, has been in the Wash“Patients are just terrified when they come to a cation or make a request online. You can learn more ington area for nearly 10 years. After leaving the veterinary clinic,” Walker said. “We want it to be a about the new District Vet, the services they offer veterinary space for a pharmaceutical job, Walker happy experience for the client and for the patient. and request an appointment at www.districtvetnafound herself missing the practice and returned to If it's happy for them, it's happier for us.” vyyard.com. help open the new location. Walker said she works Sarah Payne is a general assignment reporter at Capito ensure that all of her patients are comfortable and A Philosophy of Care tal Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@ relaxed during their visits to the clinic. Community, Teich said, is extremely important to hillrag.com. u “We try to do the exams on the floor,” WalkDistrict Vet as a local business. He emphasized that
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