1993-2002
When I started visiting, I believe Brian Hunter was either a lone vet, or maybe he had one other vet in practice with him. I saw only Brian, except for my last visit or two. His surgical work was flawless. It became clear later that additional vets had joined the operation. Brian doesn't have an outgoing, engaging personality, but I had the utmost confidence in his veterinary abilities. One notable quote I recall him saying in regard to brands of pet food was, "I can get guaranteed analysis out of an old shoe! That doesn't mean it's digestible." I have never found veterinary offices to be particularly pleasant places--folks get into that occupation because they are caring, I imagine, but what they see and deal with there jades them, as it would any caring person. How often must they encounter situations where the customer is told a procedure will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, come with no guarantees, and the alternative for their companion is some period of pain and misery followed by death, alleviated only by immediate euthanasia? It is too often for me as a pet owner; I don't want to think about the frequency at an active veterinary office. On top of that, they have to implement and live with business decision-making--because it is a business, after all.
As others have mentioned, here, Brian sacrificed his initial standard office fee whenever I brought in a stray for its initial attention. It wasn't advertised, to my knowledge, and he didn't mention it, but I noticed its absence whenever I got the bill--possibly a calculated business practice, and fine with me. To what degree he is still actively involved in the business, you'll have to inquire, but as for him, at least, I don't think you will find a more competent small-animal veterinarian. For what it's worth with respect to his reputation: he used to, and maybe still does, appear on one of the local television station's morning programming for a veterinary show every Wednesday.
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