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These are the individuals that ensure the best pet health care for every animal that comes in to our veterinary clinics.
Title at Clinic: Hospital Director and Veterinarian
Graduated: Colorado State University, 1984, and Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine, 2004
I grew up in the south side of Chicago, where I acquired an early love of animals. Besides having dogs and cats, I kept as many exotic pets as my parents would allow. The entire house, including the backyard, was inhabited by various creatures through the many years at home. This included snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, turtles, birds, ducks, rabbits, mice, fish, and chickens.
My father was a University Professor, so most of my early summers were spent around the lakes and mountains of Maine and New Hampshire. In my pre-teen years, I was able to work in a working cattle ranch in Montana for 3 summers. Those summers took the proverbial "City Slicker" and turned him into a ranch hand that was able to ride horses, drive cattle, weed gardens, milk cows, pitch hay, and do all those cowboy things. My respect and love for animals, large and small, flourished during those summers on the ranch.
My wife Martha and I traveled a lot while we were younger. We have had the opportunity to live in Hawaii, Colorado, as well as Florida. I attended Colorado State University Veterinary School, and our two children, Mike and Sarah, were both born in Colorado. We moved to Florida after graduation. A good economy and warm climate were very attractive to us after the frigid winters in Colorado. I liked what I saw at Coral Veterinary Clinic. Paul and Phyllis Douglass, D.V.M., offered veterinary care at its finest, so this was the first job I took out of school. The profession I chose has been a gift to me, but Coral Veterinary Clinic, as a practice, has made working worthwhile. I am still here after twenty-five years and am now owner of this tremendous facility. The staff, clients, patients, and level of quality medicine offered at Coral Veterinary Clinic are simply the best.
Tragically, Martha passed away in 2007, after a long illness. I was very fortunate and blessed to fall in love with a long-time friend, Jennifer Kendera, who works as the office manager at our Sanibel Outpatient Clinic. We were married at our house in Fort Myers on October 25, 2008 and had a wonderful honeymoon in the rainforest of Costa Rica. Our animal family presently numbers 5 dogs, 6 cats and 1 bird who keep us very busy when we’re not at work.
Title at Clinic: Associate Veterinarian
Graduated: University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1988
Growing up on a working dairy farm has given me a true appreciation for the reliance people have on animals. Whether there is an economic dependence or an emotional bond, I have tried to make that relationship educational, as well as, pleasurable. Choosing to practice small animal medicine has brought me a great deal of satisfaction and is continuously rewarding.
After graduating from veterinary school, I begin practicing large animal medicine in Caldwell, Idaho. Those were the coldest two winters of my life. When Paul and Phyllis Douglass offered me the opportunity to practice in Fort Myers, Florida, I could not get here fast enough. Coral Veterinary Clinic has grown and changed with the community since early 1965; and is a state of the art facility that allows its veterinarians the opportunity to learn and grow in a practice that has not lost its family values. I am extremely proud to be a part of such a great association of staff, doctors, clients, and most of all- animals.
As I continue to learn and grow as a practicing partner, I hope all of my clients understand the deep sense of appreciation and regard that I use, because each pet is a member of a family. Your family.
Title at Clinic: Associate Veterinarian
Graduated: University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, 1983
I grew up on a Wild Animal Import Compound called "Wild Cargo" in Hollywood, Florida. My father imported birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals from South and Central America, Thailand, India, and Pakistan. Ocelots, Monkeys, Lemurs, Speckled Sun Bears, and Crab Eating Foxes were just a few of the many young animals we raised and kept as pets. My childhood was definitely unique and exotic! During my high school summers, I was a zookeeper at Crandon Park Zoo in Key Biscayne, Florida.
When I went to college, I wanted to be a Field Zoologist like Jane Goodall, the Chimpanzee Expert. I decided in my junior year in undergraduate college that Veterinary Medicine would be more challenging and less boring. I have NEVER regretted my decision to become a veterinarian. At the University of Florida Veterinary College, I did a preceptor ship at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. it was full of wonderful experiences but also a real revelation. Zoological Veterinary Medicine is a selfless, demanding career, where you work 24-7, 365 days a year. I decided I wanted a career, but also a family and a life. Thus, here I am in private practice.
I have been married to my husband Peter since 1989, and have two children Christopher and Anna. At Coral Veterinary Clinic, I love coming to work. Everyday I learn something new or see something I have never seen before. Helping animals and their people is truly the most fulfilling career I could ever have anticipated.
Title at Clinic: Associate Veterinarian
Graduated: University of Missouri, 1995
My interest and fascination with animals began at a young age. As a kid I spent most of my summers on my grandfather's farm. Trying to get the morning chores done before him was a challenge. No matter how early I got up, he was up earlier. The farm dogs always were at the door waiting for us to get started and the barn cats were waiting for that first taste of milk straight from the cows. I learned early how much the animals relied on us to care for them and how much we benefited from their companionship and production.
In my teenage years I was lucky enough to earn enough money in the hayfields to purchase my own horse. I knew from that moment I wanted to work with animals. Through high school and after graduation I trained and showed Quarter horses. Traveling and showing horses introduced me to several individuals who influenced me to go back to college.
During veterinary school I began to notice more and more how strong the human-animal bond was. I was introduced to Coral Veterinary Clinic through my wife's sister, who took her animals there for care. Dr. Paul and Phyllis Douglass and Dr. Nichols allowed me to spend two months at Coral to learn what small animal practice was about. After graduating I spent an intensive year doing an Internship at the Institute of Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When my internship was completed I was offered a position at Coral. I accepted without hesitation.
I spent about six years at Coral learning and forming bonds with pets and their owners. My wife, Kari, and I had both of our girls, Lauren and Grace, during that time. Even though I was attached to and believed in the way Coral Veterinary Clinic practiced medicine, my wife and I thought getting our daughters closer to their grandparents was the right thing to do. So we moved back to Missouri. My time away was enjoyable. I spent a lot of time with my daughters. But, I missed the warmth of Florida and Coral Veterinary Clinic. I now look forward to spending the rest of my career working with the patients and clients of Coral Veterinary Clinic.
Title at Clinic: Associate Veterinarian
Graduated: Oklahoma State University, 1974
For most of my childhood, I thought I wanted to be a nurse. I was very interested in the medical field. By the time I was in high school, I realized I could combine my love of animals and my interest in medicine into one career!
I grew up around many dogs. There are many farmers on my Dad's side of the family, so I must have inherited a gene for enjoying animals. I have owned many pets. It's difficult to decide which my favorite was--maybe it was the beautiful female Doberman, or the 3 ferrets. But then, I'm so very fond of cats, too.
I graduated from Southern Wayne High School in North Carolina in 1967. I attended college at UNC Chapel Hill and NC State University. I received my DVM degree in 1974 from Oklahoma State University.
I have worked for several practices in the Fort Myers, Bonita, Naples area and for the Humane Society and Animal Services. I have taken an occasional shift at the Emergency Veterinary Clinic.
I have 2 grown children. My daughter Julie works for Outward Bound in New Smyrna Beach, FL and my son Mason works as an electrician in Fort Myers.
My hobbies include reading and dancing. I enjoy biographies and fiction. I've enjoyed various types of dancing: ballroom, modern, ballet, tap and just working out in the gym. I was a cheerleader for the Florida Flame basketball team as a member of the "Hot Flashes."
One of the most unusual things I have done in my career was the necropsy of a dead bloated alligator that was found lying next to a human's shoe. Fortunately, I found no human remains inside. Although I have practiced veterinary medicine for 32 years, every day is a challenge and is never boring!
Title at Clinic: Associate Veterinarian
Graduated: University of Missouri, 2010
I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. My first dog was a beautiful Cocker Spaniel that my parents used to show in obedience competitions. By the time I was born, she was deaf and blind and I would lead her around the house reading her my story books and dressing her up in costume jewelry. She was a very tolerant dog, to say the least. When we adopted a more rambunctious dog years later, my sister and I had to quickly become experts in camouflaging the damage he did throughout the house. Since I had grown up with dogs, I was understandably quite confused when we adopted our first cat. This creature did not want to go for walks on a leash, I couldn't teach her to sit on command, and when she wagged her tail it did not mean she was happy. All of my favorite memories from childhood involve my pets. I even insisted on taking my English Setter puppy on my first "date" in elementary school; we walked our dogs to the neighborhood ice cream shop. It was no surprise when I announced that I would be a veterinarian one day.
I attended the University of Missouri for college and veterinary school. During my second year of vet school I discovered Coral Veterinary Clinic while visiting my sister in Fort Myers. I would make the trip to Florida during each break from school in order to gain experience working at this clinic. I had so many unique opportunities during vet school- I performed surgery on fish and anesthetized tigers, but nothing compares to working with beloved family pets. When I was offered a job here after graduation it was a dream come true. I am privileged to work for such an exceptional clinic with clients that are truly devoted to their pet's needs.
I have a border collie mix named Cosmo that I adopted in 2004. He is very active and keeps me quite entertained at home. I know just how strong the bond can be between people and their pets and I feel honored that I am entrusted to care for your best friends!
Title at Clinic: Retired Co-Founder
Graduated: Michigan State University, 1962
I grew up on a farm in central Indiana. Dairy cattle, hogs, and chickens were the livestock that we maintained, but from time to time whenever I could talk my father into it, we had sheep, turkeys, geese, ducks, a horse, and always a couple of dogs and several barn cats. A local veterinarian owned the farm my family worked; he was my ally in keeping the farmyard full of various pets.
I graduated from Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. While attending school I met a fellow student, Phyllis Johnson. After establishing a wonderful relationship with Phyllis, I had to complete a two-year tour of duty in the United States Army Veterinary Corps. Phyllis and I were married in the Chapel on the Michigan State University Campus. We combined our honeymoon with a job-hunting trip to Florida. We were offered and accepted positions at the Yarborough Animal Hospital in Miami, Florida. In 1965, we moved to the small town of Fort Myers, and established the Coral Veterinary Clinic. The practice grew along with the population and the surrounding area, as did our family, which now consists of three children, their spouses, and five grandchildren.
Phyllis passed away after a brief bout with cancer in 1999. In addition to being a wonderful wife and mother, she was instrumental in the establishment and growth of the Coral Veterinary Clinic. She was one of the original founders of the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island.
On January 27, 2006 I re-married to Mary Schneider in a beautiful ceremony in Palm Harbor, FL. Mary has 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren so our family has now grown even larger. We have decided that now is the time for retirement. Mary and I will be doing more traveling. I will miss the patients and clients at Coral Veterinary Clinic but know that I leave their health in the good hands of my fellow partners and associates.
OFFICE LOCATIONS
FORT MYERS:
9540 Cypress Lake Drive . Fort Myers, FL 33919 | Telephone: 239.481.4746
SANIBEL: 1530 Periwinkle Way . Sanibel, FL 33957 | Telelphone: 239.472.VETS (8387)
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