The much anticipated reopening of the Bowen Vet has finally taken place, with the space undergoing a major overhaul both aesthetically and technically.
Dr. Midge Ritchie, veterinarian and co-owner of Bowen Veterinary Services, oversaw the changes which took place over nine weeks starting in August. The vet was closed during this time – save for some home visits – but for Ritchie the updates were long overdue.
“As soon as I started working here… I realized there was so much space that was underutilized. If we ever wanted to have multiple doctors and grow with the island I knew we had to have it renovated. So I’ve been dreaming and thinking about this since 2019,” says Ritchie, who took over and reopened the clinic in May that year.
“I wanted to utilize it more where we could have multiple vets. We can have vets doing appointments, and vets doing procedures. We can just have more animals in at a time, and not send people into town or turn people away or wait longer than they should,” explains Ritchie.
The new space features separate rooms for X-rays, surgical operations, and dental work, services which were previously combined in the same space and limited how many patients could be seen.
There’s also new lab machines available, allowing for more tests to be run. While the vet could previously do blood work in-house, they’ve now expanded into fecal and cytology tests.
While all the technical advancements are wonderful for service, Ritchie said she didn’t want the new space to have a sterile, hospital feel. To counter that narrative about a trip to the vet, she adopted the ‘fear free’ movement to inspire the clinic’s design.
“The fear free movement is based on the anxiety-inducing events that are caused by pets coming to the vet. And not just pets, but owners too… we want to show them that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad visit,” says Ritchie.
In the vet’s case, the colouring, textures, lighting, and more have all been specially picked to focus on choices which reduce stress and anxiousness, among both four and two-legged visitors. The walls feature caricatures of employee’s pets, and there’s even specialized rooms for cats and dogs designed to their needs, such as a big windowsill in the cat room for felines to explore.
“I can do an exam on the windowsill while they’re looking out the window… or they like softer spaces, so we have baskets and mats that they’re more comfortable with. And we give them catnip and we give them treats and anything that will make it a pleasurable experience,” explains Ritchie.
“And then once the owner sees, oh my cat’s not that stressed, then they relax a little bit.”
Other touches to the place include a carefully designed comfort room for pets and owners who may have to hear difficult news during a visit. There’s also a snack bar for dogs, which Ritchie says owners can bring their pup to enjoy anytime, whether they have an appointment or not.
“It’s not your typical vet clinic, it’s not like you walk in and think hospital. You walk in and you almost feel like this could be somebody’s home. I wanted to create something where people could visit and want to come, and say this feels like a nice homey environment,” says Ritchie.
The renovations took about nine weeks overall, and Ritchie says she’s extremely pleased with the final outcome. She says she put her design background to use as well, and that contractors Gerry Voth and Son from the Okanagan (no on-island contractors were available) executed her vision perfectly. Ritchie also credits local architect Robyn Fenton and IT expert Dwayne Matthews for their substantial contributions to the project.
Now that things are rolling again, the vet is looking to round out its staff, something they’re hoping to do by the new year. They’ve already made leaps in this area by hiring Lynsey Robbie as new hospital manager, and have seen Theresa Volkmann rising the ranks from veterinary technician to doctor. Dr. Sandra Madden is also continuing her much loved at-home visits, having been coaxed back into the business by Ritchie.
Bowen Vet is celebrating their reopening Thursday, Oct. 27 with a party at the clinic. Ritchie says there will be tours, giveaways and food, and she hopes to see many people there, starting at 4 pm.
