more than just a pet

Westover Animal Hospital is committed to the health and happiness of their furry patients.

From the receptionist to the doctors, each person at Westover Animal Hospital is committed to the health and happiness of their furry patients.

Dr. Trey Newell talks about his heart for helping animals. “I knew early on that I wanted to be a doctor of some sort,” he recalls. “I enjoyed horses and animals quite a bit, and I thought ‘Why not put that love together and become a veterinarian?’”

As a teenager, Dr. Trey worked at Westover Animal Hospital where his passion for veterinarian medicine took flight He earned his masters at University of Georgia and went on to Tuskegee University for veterinarian school. When he finished his studies in 2005, he moved back home to Albany and joined the Westover Animal Hospital team as a doctor.

While they primarily treat small animals, they are also equipped to treat a wide variety of exotic pets. These include sugar gliders, ferrets and rabbits. The proud veterinary hospital for Flint River Aquarium, they often treat reptiles as well.

An avid horse rider himself, Dr. Trey does a good amount of equine work for his clients and friends. “One time I worked on the elephants for the circus that came through town. I don’t think there’s anything we can’t handle here,” Dr. Trey says confidently.

Between the four veterinarians on staff, Westover Animal Hospital operates with over 100 years of experience. “That’s what makes this place great in my opinion,” Dr. Trey says. “I haven’t seen it all, nobody has seen it all. But there’s a lot that we have seen.”

The team collaborates to better serve and improve the health of each patient. “I think the service and the doctors are top notch. And if we can’t help you with something, we’ll put you in the hands of somebody that can.”

In February, they opened a satellite clinic in Dawson to cater to the rural community in need of veterinary care. “It’s not full service yet, it’s mainly outpatient medicine. But if we can’t do something there, we’ll get you here in Albany,” Dr. Trey says.

Westover Animal Hospital of Dawson is a wonderful resource for people in that area. The doctors rotate servicing that location with the same proficiency and care they bring to Albany.

Over time, Dr. Trey has witnessed the changing relationship between people and their pets. “Dogs and cats used to be outside, and that has developed so that now they are like children that sleep in their owners’ beds.”

Because of this, owners have become more in tune with their animals allowing them to catch an illness faster than before. “Preventative medicine is easier and cheaper than it is to treat a disease. Getting your animal in to your vet for a regular checkup at least once a year is ideal,” Dr. Trey says.

With routine lab tests and annual exams, their team can catch what is wrong before it is too late. All so those tails can keep on wagging for many years to come.

Story by Alexa Tebben | Photos by Smitts Photography