Q& ZEKE HART
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Dr. William Otto Veterinarian I n t e rvI e w by A m y O r OzcO PH Ot OS by A n n e t t e SAmArIn William Otto, DVM, was caring for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and a variety of classroom pets, among other furry friends and family members, even before he bought Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital from Dr. George Law, DVM, and wife, Helen, in 1983. Befitting his profession, the animal doc grew up on a small farm outside of Cincinnati. He visited California during his college years at Ohio State University, where he also attended veterinary school, and decided he wanted to live in the Golden State. “I was looking for temporary work, and Dr. Law said he didn’t have work right now, but I spent the day with him. He said, ‘Why don’t you stop by the house tonight and have dinner with my wife and me?’” Otto recalls. “And, at the end of the evening, they said, ‘We’d like you to buy our practice.’” Thirty years later Otto was in the same situation but on the other side of the table. “It’s not who offered the most money; it was getting the right people who I felt comfortable with,” he says referring to the new owners, veterinarians Laura Putnam and Justin Fischer. “When I hired Laura over eight years ago,
TOP, Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital on Walnut Avenue provides services for companion animals, or pets, such as dogs and cats. BOTTOM, healing hands. Dr. Otto examines Allegra, a beautiful brown Weimaraner. 78 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com
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