Most veterinary schools now offer DVM students some type of business or management course, at least as an elective. A basic tenet taught to them is that planning a new veterinary hospital is all about “location, location, location.” In a perfect world, wannabe hospital owners pick the ideal spot. Unfortunately, what starts out as a model place can evolve into a less-than-optimal outcome because of circumstances beyond the owner’s control.
In the real world, those dreaming of the perfect location might soon realize that grasping the Holy Grail isn’t always possible. When an entrepreneur searches for a place to build or purchase a hospital, variables can alter the final decision, such as financing, prior relationships, earlier commitments, family constraints and covenants. You can’t test-drive a location or hospital.
That was the case with Noah’s Ark. After I finished my UC Davis residency, my friend and I decided to start a hospital rather than work for someone else. We loved Southern California and wanted to be in a coastal community. We looked for practices from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
Over the months, we called, wrote letters and visited dozens of veterinary hospitals. Some were too small, some too far inland, some too expensive, some outdated and some in bad parts of town. When you’re in the market for a used item, you don’t have the latitude to be too choosy. It seemed that every hospital we evaluated had at least one major flaw. One place had them all.
Early in our search, we came across this classified advertisement in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: “Small Animal and Exotic Veterinary Practice. Excellent coastal location; just blocks from the beach. Great clients. Well equipped. Owner ready to retire!”
The ad had our names written all over it. I flew down from Northern California as soon as I got a weekend off. Sadly, the visit wasn’t worth the price of the plane ticket. So, my business partner and I kept looking.
After several unsuccessful months of searching, we decided to re-evaluate that exotic practice in the heart of Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, the price had dropped, but so had the condition of the hospital. Meanwhile, local crime rates rose.
Everybody knows that the best restaurants are sometimes in a city’s worst parts. We figured we could make the same come true with this practice. In the fall of 1998, Noah’s Ark Veterinary Hospital was born.
In veterinary school, students are taught from “The Book of the Perfect World.” Watching an episode of MTV’s “The Real World” would be a better choice.
What follows are four topics generally not covered in the typical veterinary school curriculum.
1. Image
Our practice, Noah’s Ark Veterinary Hospital, was in leased space on the ground floor of an 80-year-old, two-story building. It was at the corner of a busy four-lane that bisected the city, essentially the battle line between the “good” and “bad” sides of the track. Gangs fought for turf along the corridor, and the storefronts were adorned with graffiti making bold statements about who ruled which territories.
In most veterinary hospitals, the morning technicians’ first duties are to turn on all the lights, feed and water the boarded pets and patients, and prepare for the opening. At Noah’s Ark, the kennel staff’s first task was to grab a five-gallon bucket of paint and a roller, then go outside and cover the graffiti so arriving clients wouldn’t be visually assaulted by gang tags.
Our police department contact recommended buying anti-graffiti paint, which is supposedly easy to clean. However, it’s expensive and doesn’t prevent graffiti artists from plying their trade.
According to the experts, the best way to prevent graffiti is to paint religious murals on the sides of buildings. An unwritten rule among taggers, we were told, is not to desecrate religious artwork. We tried the magic paint. The only thing the police were right about was the high price — over $100 a gallon. It didn’t work.
2. Parking, Clients and Staff
Like many metropolitan businesses, Noah’s Ark lacked off-street parking, which forced clients to find a place for their car and hope it was there when they returned. Compounding that worrisome fact of life was having to walk from the safety of their automobile to and from our hospital, especially after dark.
We offered a valet service, but few clients took us up on it, not wanting an unknown kid driving their car or parking the vehicle in an unsafe location. We also offered to escort clients to their cars, especially during streetlight hours or if they needed help carrying supplies or handling a feisty pet.
Although providing an escort sounded like good client service, it also meant we temporarily lost a staffer. Inevitably, the task occurred most often during the busiest hours — near closing time, which is when clients heading home from work would pick up their pets. The service meant that a veterinary assistant’s sole job was to help clients to and from their cars.
Likewise, at the end of the workday, anyone in the clinic with safety concerns could be escorted to their cars since the staff had to park even farther away (on side streets) to leave nearby spots for clients.
Of course, the escorts had to walk back alone, or the driver had to drop off the employee at the hospital.
3. Security
The well-being of the practice team and hospital was always paramount. A police detective was one of our A-plus clients. We became friends, and he frequently performed security checks on Noah’s Ark and its policies.
One of the main things he pointed out was that a “hospital” to many people meant a place of drugs and money. As such, our building was an easy target for anyone looking for a quick score, potentially putting employees at risk. For instance, an invader could easily follow an escort inside after dark.
The detective suggested installing a decoy safe containing fake drugs in a readily accessible spot, preferably near the front of the hospital. Such a ruse can get drug seekers in and out quickly. At Noah’s Ark, we trained front office employees to remain calm, assure the intruder that drugs were nearby, and take the person to a broom closet or another place near the entrance. Inside would be a decoy safe. The employee then opens the safe using a simple combination and hands over old drug bottles filled with colored water.
Fortunately, we never had an external robbery when my partner and I owned the hospital. Preparation is always best when it’s not needed. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with inside jobs.
Over the years, books, money and equipment went missing during work hours or when the hospital was closed. In almost every case, we couldn’t identify the perpetrator because we lacked proof.
My ownership of Noah’s Ark taught me a few things:
- Cash bank deposits should be made daily, preferably picked up by a bonded courier. Weekend cash intake should be secured in a stout wall or floor safe accessible to a trusted few. Alternately, key individuals can carry cash from the building, but beware that such a routine can make them the easy targets of thieves.
- Noah’s Ark had laboratory specimen lockboxes outside the building. Again, anything suggesting drugs or medical supplies is an invitation to someone walking or driving by. Our lab boxes were vandalized or stolen several times, regardless of how fortified they were. We had no choice but to demand that couriers pick up the samples before we closed each day.
- Bars on windows keep bad people out, but they also keep good people, like potential clients, out.
- Break-resistant windows, although expensive, obviate the need for metal bars and are less visually offensive. (They weren’t an option for us at the time.) Strong windows and eye-catching external security cameras help keep bad people out.
4. Protective Measures
When we first opened Noah’s Ark, armed employees were not a consideration. However, several staff members started bringing guns to work after the civil unrest surrounding the 1992 Rodney King trial. I didn’t own a gun, but after the violence, I carried one when I worked after dark.
Anyone considering arming themselves should consult with lawyers, security experts and police about permit requirements and the legalities of having weapons on the premises. I know of several veterinary clinics that keep weapons.
Noah’s Ark was fortunate to have a relationship with the police detective. Every veterinary hospital, especially those in high-crime areas, should consider hiring a security consultant. A trained professional can review vulnerabilities to all types of crimes, from robberies and break-ins to inside jobs and staff temptations.
I also advise paying a self-defense specialist to train employees on handling verbal and physical confrontations with clients and passers-by. The lessons can instill confidence when team members leave work to walk to their cars, when they ride mass transit, and even when they’re at home.
To Invest or Not to Invest?
As I said, some of the best restaurants are often in the worst parts of town. You can’t predict what will happen to a neighborhood after you move in. Perform due diligence when considering a location for a new hospital or when you want to purchase an existing one.
The calculated risk paid off for my partner and me. At the start, Noah’s Ark consisted of the two of us, two receptionists, a veterinary assistant and a kennel attendant. We worked 80 to 100 hours a week to make our hospital successful. Within a year, we added two associate doctors, two more receptionists and a half-dozen assistants.
The business and its reputation grew throughout my tenure. After nearly a decade, I made a big move by starting a hospital on a small Florida island near where I was born, far, far away.
Dr. Douglas R. Mader with a python during his time at Noah’s Ark Veterinary Hospital.
OTHER SAFETY MEASURES
Establishing security protocols is critical, and they work only if employees follow them. For example, a team member must activate the security system upon leaving the building at closing time without fail.
Background checks are a necessity in today’s world. However, even if an employee has a clean criminal record, temptation looms large, people make mistakes, and things happen.
Cameras are one way to prevent security issues and, if necessary, identify culpability. Install them inside and outside the practice. They are highly recommended in areas where drugs and money are found.
Finally, the thought “Big Brother is watching” deters potential criminals and helps keep honest people honest.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY
Dr. Douglas R. Mader’s memoir, “The Vet at Noah’s Ark: Stories of Survival From an Inner-City Animal Hospital,” is based on his experience in the Los Angeles area in the 1990s. The book chronicles the activities of the staff members at Noah’s Ark Veterinary Hospital and their efforts to promote and protect the human-animal bond.