What's In Store for the Veterinarian in the House
As a Veterinarian you no doubt love animals, and you no doubt enjoy trekking the aisles of your neighborhood pet stores; stopping to admire the cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, turtles, lizards, fish, and other potential pets in need of good homes.
Did you know, though, that you could be far more than a casual customer at your favorite pet store? That's right; as a seasoned caretaker of all types of animals, you can form a meaningful partnership with a pet dealer in your area.
You might, for example, act as a veterinarian on call at this store; making yourself available to rush to the store in case of a medical emergency, or perhaps arranging special visits to check on the health and well-being of the animals kept at the store. Or you could offer special discounts to store owners who bring their animals in for checkups and medical procedures.
You also could conduct educational workshops regarding animal care at your favorite pet store. Pet owners are always looking for practical and useful suggestions regarding the care, feeding, and treatment of their two- and four-legged friends; and if they can get this information from a vet conveniently located at the store where they bought the animal, then all the better! By offering complete and interactive seminars that cover everything from the spaying and neutering to the bathing and feeding of all types of pets, you not only will serve the animals you love and the people who take care of them, you probably will end up picking up a lot of new patients along the way.
If you are a veterinarian who doubles as an author of pet care manuals, you may ask the owner of your favorite local pet store if they would be willing to stock your books in the animal care resource section of their business. Many stores stock entire aisles filled with just this type of reading material; they probably would take great pride in offering the works of a local veterinarian who doubles as an author (a veterinauthor?:)), and may even invite you to conduct a book signing at their store; one you both could promote at your respective businesses. The same goes for vets who do pet portraits, or who create and sell animal-related merchandise; everything from dog collars to kitty beds, pet toys to novelties.
And if you are a veterinarian who serves a local animal rescue organization, caring voluntarily or at a reduced rate for the pets they rescue, you might suggest that they work with a local pet store to conduct animal adoption drives at the store, perhaps on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.
In addition, some pet stores may post bulletin boards on which you can place fliers or business cards to advertise your veterinary practice.
As a veterinarian, you stand to have much in common with those who sell animals for a living. So if you can establish ties with a reputable pet store that cares about animals, then you can establish a winning partnership that lasts for the entirety of your animal-centered careers.
