Vale Park Animal Hospital in Valparaiso takes pride in the care they offer its four-legged patients. The team of veterinary doctors works hard to ensure this quality care, and a few of them spoke with us about what makes their work at the hospital special.
Dr. Brent Lakia
Dr. Brent Lakia started at Vale Park as a kennel kid back in 1998 and held various positions at the hospital until 2006 when he left for vet school. He graduated in 2010 and came back to Vale Park in 2016, buying into the practice in 2018.
Dr. Lakia said he was drawn to the profession not only for his love of animals, but for the variety in his work as well.
“My love of animals initially drew me to the field, but as I grew into the profession, I discovered a few other reasons why this is the right place for me to be,” Dr. Lakia said. “I am as passionate about people as I am about animals. I also get distracted if I have to work on a long project over too long a time. Having something new and different every 20 minutes with each appointment helps to keep things fresh for me”
He chose to pursue his career at Vale Park because of the welcoming atmosphere.
“When I first was looking for a vet clinic to work at, in an effort to determine if I even wanted to be a vet in high school, I applied to several clinics, but I felt the most at home, welcome, and part of Vale Park way back then, on an interview for a kennel position," Dr. Lakia said. "It was meant to be.”
Dr. Lakia is proud of his hard work since joining the Vale Park team, working his way up from the bottom of the barrel to the Hospital Administrator. He also enjoys meeting new pets and clients, as well as working with his team of doctors every day.
Moving to the hospital’s newest location also made Dr. Lakia realize just how much he appreciates where he works.
“When we moved to the new building, it just felt so right for the practice. Our team moving all the equipment from the old location to the new one, the way the clients have come to appreciate the new clinic, and how proud we are to provide a great place for our patients, clients, and our team,” he said.
Dr. Kelly Rock
Dr. Kelly Rock has only been at Vale Park for a year, but it didn’t take her long to fit in and feel right at home. Dr. Rock came to Vale Park when she spent two weeks with the clinic for an externship during her clinical year at school.
Dr. Rock said that she has enjoyed working on her skillset and expanding her knowledge over the past year. She originally became a vet because of the variety of work and said every day at Vale Park is new and has different puzzles to solve.
Like Dr. Lakia, Dr. Rock also enjoys the family-like atmosphere while working at Vale Park.
“I love being with a family and pet for the life of the pet, to educate and help make decisions to keep the pet healthy,” she said
Dr. Courtney Harsy
Dr. Harsy got her start at Vale Park back in 2002 as part of the kennel staff. She began working as a vet in 2018.
She said she chose to work at Vale Park because they prioritize the care of the animals. She said the vets are always encouraged to improve their skills and pursue areas that interest them most, which Dr. Harsy greatly appreciated.
“I have been able to learn new surgical techniques and improve my skills as a doctor,” she said.
Dr. Harsy said her reason for joining the profession was quite an unusual one.
“As a child, I decided to do whatever took the most schooling and was the most difficult. At the time I thought that meant being a human doctor, but when I was told it was harder to get into vet school than med school, I decided to become a vet. Thankfully, my parents insisted I spend time in a vet hospital before truly pursuing the career and I luckily fell in love with the profession.”
Within the job itself, she loves making an impact where it matters most.
“I love my patients and surgery. I love being able to improve the lives of the pets I love and make a real difference in their life.”
For more information on Vale Park Animal Hospital, visit https://valeparkah.com/.