Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital: A Community Legacy by Sarah Gordon
photos by Sandra Steier
Local pet owners have been turning to Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital for animal health care for the past 43 years. Situated on the corner of West Boulevard and West 44th Avenue, with its fabulous vintage neon sign, Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital is one of this community’s legacies. It first opened in 1946 as a dog clinic, and in 1970 Dr. James Dodds purchased the business and began treating other household pets. His son, Dr. Michael Dodds, followed in his father’s footsteps and trained to become a veterinarian. Dr. Michael Dodds was born in Vancouver and has strong Kerrisdale roots. He attended Kerrisdale Elementary and Point Grey Secondary. As a boy, he would often pop into the veterinary hospital with his father. Although there was not an expectation that he become a veterinarian, Dr. Michael Dodds knew that this was his career aspiration. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Animal Science from UBC. Subsequently, he attended the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where he received a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, and became a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS) in 2000. Following his studies he returned to Vancouver and worked alongside his father. In 2003 he took ownership and Dr. James Dodds continued to work at Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital until he retired in 2009. Two other respected veterinarians work at Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital. Senior associate Dr. Janette Craven graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon following undergraduate work at UBC. She spent her first year in a mixed veterinary practice prior to joining the Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital and subsequently has been providing excellence in animal medicine and surgery. Dr. Sarah Morley is the most recent veterinarian to join the professional team. Born in England, she moved to New Zealand with her family and settled in Christchurch.
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February 15 - April 14, 2013
Dr. Morley trained and received her degree in Veterinary Medicine from Massey University. While cats and dogs are the primary animals treated at Kerrisdale Veterinary Hospital, rodents, rabbits and an occasional snake are also seen. Services include surgery, dentistry, lab testing, vaccinations, daycare (both short and long term boarding), bathing and grooming. Pets are living longer lives with improvements in nutrition, vaccinations, and preventable diseases and also due to the evolution of technology and techniques. Dr. Michael Dodds derives satisfaction from saving animals lives and relieving their pain. This is an emotional profession where bedside manner and sensitivity are of utmost importance. He believes in working with his clients to determine the best course of action for a pet’s treatment, whether it is a pre-anesthetic health check or the institution of a lifelong commitment to medical management of a chronic disease.
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