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JOURNALISMAMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Village Animal Hospital’s banner covers an old sign from when the space was corporately owned. The vet clinic is in Dunwoody Plaza off Dunwoody Village Parkway. DUNWOODY, Ga. — In April, Riva Wolkow took ownership of the veterinarian clinic in Dunwoody Plaza off Dunwoody Village Parkway. The old sign from when the space was corporately owned still hangs on the brick front, and another hides beneath the new Village Animal Hospital name. The slightly wrinkled banner with large, purple bubbly letters is characteristic of the culture — down to earth and friendly — the kind of culture where humans can expect their beloved companion to be treated with compassion. There’s a vast difference between corporate and independently owned vet practices, said Wolkow, wearing scrubs with a slicked back ponytail ready for the day ahead. Her focus is clients, patients and patient care. “We can treat each client, each patient as individuals,” she said. “To me, I want them to be more like family as opposed to numbers.” Wolkow splits her time between Village and Belle Isle Animal Hospital in Sandy Springs, which she opened

in 2011, to make herself present and to ensure that the culture of each practice is consistent with her values. A Dunwoody resident, Wolkow’s dream was opening a clinic in her city.

Owning a vet clinic means Wolkow can do what she thinks is best. She isn’t told how to practice medicine and what meds to use. Corporations have a bad habit of pushing products onto owners, she said.

“I’m only going to offer you what I would do for my own pet,” Wolkow said.

At its 8 a.m. opening, reception was already busy. Like a mother to her baby, a vet tech used highpitched speech to coddle a frightened pup on its way to the scale. The office manager, Linda Israel, sought feedback from Wolkow on patients before she stepped into her personal office space, which had a blue, padded dog mat on the floor, hair still clinging to it.

On Thursday, Dec. 29 Wolkow’s dogs weren’t around but they usually are, along with those of fellow veterinarian Ashlyn Roberts. Melanie

Village Animal Hospital operator, staff treat pets as individuals, not numbers Lucero, who was absent that day, is Village’s third vet and Wolkow’s former classmate at the University of Georgia’s vet school. There’s also five vet techs on staff. “The staff here is awesome,” Wolkow said. “Every one of us has stayed late to do an emergency surgery.” The lobby of Village Animal Hospital is spacious with deep purple walls. The contemporary color palette is incorporated through its three, small exam rooms, which are decorated with animal portraits. Wolkow described a renovation on the horizon — to take away from the oversized lobby and create three new exam rooms, while combining two of the existing rooms for extra space. “I like to sit on the floor,” Wolkow said. “I like to be able to talk to the owners and have the space.” Sometimes stuck up on the table, sitting on the floor is less scary for her patients. Wolkow also has treats — anything to make animals more See INDIVIDUAL, Page 9