Dr. Bob was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. While he hasn't lived there since going off to college in the mid-1970s, Nashville will always be home. What a cool place to grow up! (he met and shook Johnny Cash's hand when he was in Boy Scouts)... and what an awesome city now! Dr. Bob moved to North Carolina immediately after graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982, starting his career in Charlotte. He has long been a member of the American Veterinary Medical Associationas well as the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association.
Why a career in veterinary medicine? Like so many veterinarians and support staff, he has a love for pets, for animals, as well as a genuine passion for medicine and the art of healing and helping. He was the primary care-taker for a broad range of pets growing up. Many of his favorite childhood memories involve taking care of his Collies and Corgis and cats. Even though his Dad banished all cats to the outdoors, he'd sneak them inside the house when dad was at work.
Dr. Bob began Carolina Value Pet Care in 2012. The seed to create the business was planted before then, however. He owned a private "brick'n'mortar" practice for many years in Concord before selling it in 2002. For the next 10 years, he traveled across the state of North Carolina as a relief veterinarian, filling in for other vets when they went on vacation, went to meetings, or whatever.
During the financial crises around 2008-2009, at all the clinics where I was working, he witnessed so many animals being abandoned due to families and individuals having to make a painful decision to either "feed the family or feed the pets." It was tragic beyond words to see pet owners giving up their beloved pets because they simply could not afford to take care of them due to financial hardships. That set in motion the desire to find a way to make veterinary medicine more affordable for pet parents. Rather than building and opening another facility, he ultimately decided to create a mobile service, with a focus on providing affordable basic pet care. Vaccines and parasite prevention are foundational to the long-term care and well-being of pets, so that was a logical area to give attention to.
Once he launched the business in October, 2012, Dr. Bob started seeing so many dogs with severe allergies and skin problems. His initial reaction was to inform those customers that their dog could be helped, and to see a full-service veterinarian for appropriate care and treatment. Again, the issue of cost became a point of concern. Many pet parents had taken their dogs or cats for allergy treatment, but the expense was overwhelming. Soon after he started the business, he incorporated allergy and ear management and treatment into the services. Conservatively we have helped (and continue to help) thousands of allergic pets. Of equal importance, Dr. Bob has helped educate so many pet parents who are now able to help manage their pet's allergies and skin issues.