The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
PETS CAN BANK ON NEW DOC Landmark bank building now home to Bridgeport veterinarian
BRIDGEPORT » The sweet irony of caring for animals in a building where they were once unwelcome is not lost on Dr. Craig McLahan.
“I think it’s a really novel idea to have a building go from being a bank to an animal hospital,” said the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine graduate, who launched Bridgeport Veterinary Hospital and Bridgeport Pet Resort & Spa in an iconic 90-year-old bank building at the corner of Fourth Street and DeKalb Pike in Bridgeport in July.
“I know that in the ‘60s and ‘70s there probably weren’t a lot of dogs moving through this space and now it’s very welcoming of dogs. When I was a kid, a bank would never be a place where a person would be allowed to take their dog, so it’s kind of ironic that we’re doing this where people used to bring their precious gems to the vault and now we’re doing surgery on pets.”
McLahan is anxious to showcase the facility when he and his staff host a festive open house celebration on Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring a caricaturist, face painting for kids and food by Bridgeport Rib House, Nonna Rosa Pizzeria and a taco truck.
Tours of the building, 204 W. Fourth St., Bridgeport, that McLahan purchased last December will be conducted throughout the day, including a closeup look at the former bank
“A lot of people recall doing their banking here and have anecdotes about getting their first car loan.” — Dr. Craig McLahan
vaults that never fail to engage the curious.
“Our main vault, which serves as the surgery room, is the centerpiece, and another vault we use as the cat ward,” McLahan said. “It’s perfect for cats because it’s quiet, and you’re away from the barking and the noise and it really blocks out all the external noise.”
Several banks have called the location home over the years, but it was originally built in 1928 as BNB Bank, a name that is embedded in the foyer’s marble.
“A lot of people recall doing their banking here and have anecdotes about getting their first car loan,” noted McLahan, a Mount Airy native who now lives in Conshohocken. “Since the building sat vacant for a while I know a lot of people were concerned that it was going to be torn down. But when the sale sign went up I knew that was where I wanted to put my practice. Based on the exterior footprint, I knew it would accommodate what I envisioned as my dream practice with a dog daycare. I knew I would need a lot of square footage, and this has about 12,000 square feet.”
McLahan soon presented his proposal to re-purpose the bank to Bridgeport Council.
“They really liked the idea and said that a lot of people had presented ideas for the building that they weren’t too keen on so they were pleasantly surprised by my idea,” he recalled. “I walked around door to door and got petitions and everyone was very supportive. We brought a strong case to change the zoning of the building. I was told by a guy who did a traffic study that 30,000 vehicles pass through that intersection every day which is why a lot of people know about the building.”
Before long, the practice had amassed more than 1,500 followers on Facebook.
“A lot of it is from the visibility. We ask people how they found us and they say they saw the banners and were waiting for us to open. I think Facebook really fostered our connection with people and allowed us to build a connection,” said McLahan, who credited his mother, Brenda McLahan, with financial support for the business.
Offering health exams, vaccinations, diagnostics, lab work, behavioral counseling and doggie daycare, the practice is filling a void in a town that was missing a veterinarian, he recalled.
“For a startup business we’re pretty busy every day. And the staff we’ve been able to put together is amazing, with my practice manager Jamie Poole, and Wendy Troost, who handles all the social media, who all helped make this a reality. We’re excited by the welcome we’ve gotten from the community and the mayor.”
McLahan is proud of the fact that the facility is within walking distance of many of his clients.
“Our whole thing is we want to reduce the stress and anxiety of going to the vet, and one of the ways we can do that, especially being a community vet, is you walk your animal directly to the vet instead of putting them into a car, where they often get car sick and know they’re going to a place where they don’t want to go,” he noted. “Our animals who are in daycare love coming to the vet because they’re here Monday through Friday and they play all day.”
The absence of a waiting room is a unique feature that pet owners are appreciating, McLahan added.
“Our receptionist puts the people and their animals directly into an examination room. I know that, for myself, when I go to the doctor, I’m a very anxious person, and to sit in a waiting room and see people in various states of illness can really increase the anxiety you already have. And with pets it can be scaled up even higher. To me, the waiting room is really one of the worst places in an animal hospital and I really wanted to eliminate that, said the man who’s known from childhood that he wanted to become a veterinarian.
“When I graduated high school at Chestnut Hill Academy, which was kindergarten through 12th, they had a practice of reading report cards from your whole career that revealed the essence of the person’s personality,” McLahan remembered. “My graduating class was about 50 boys. When I came up they said something about ‘if only Craig paid as much attention in my class as he did to the hamster in the back of the class’ – something to the effect that I was so enamored of animals,” he said, laughing.
For more information, visit www. bridgeportveterinary.com or call 610-277-8387.