Pet project celebrates 30 years of care
THE year 1985 was a big one for Wellington – The Warratahs formed, Footnote Dance Company was founded, and Michael Lyon opened Central Vet Hospital.
This month the vet clinic celebrates 30 years of caring for capital pets.
Lyon was the first local vet to promote his business in the Yellow Pages and with flyers after vets were freed from restrictive advertising in 1985.
He says: ‘‘Basic advertising was seen as the professional etiquette, so I became the enfant terrible.’’
There was an evident need for a seven-day service, Lyon says, so he happily broke the mould. ‘‘I would also say I’ve got an independent streak and like doing things my own way.’’
This new way of advertising boosted business, but left Lyon feeling more like an administration worker than a vet.
‘‘I brought my sister Robyn Watling in to be the practice manager so I could go back to working with the animals.’’
Helping You Help Animals (HUHA) co-founder Carolyn PressMcKenzie started as a vet nurse at Central in 1995. She used to live in a little cottage behind the clinic and would care for sick animals through the night, she says.
Instead of giving her a ‘‘grim 9-5 job’’, Lyon gave her the freedom to work in her own way.
‘‘I could have easily been unenriched, but he gave me a chance to be me.’’ Capital Day has one jersey to give away. To enter, email capdaycomp@ dompost.co.nz with ‘‘Rugby’’ in the subject line by 5pm today. One entry per person please.
Different clinics have different philosophies, but Press-McKenzie says she trusts Central and its processes the most.
‘‘At this clinic, it is about the clients being happy and it was about the animals being happy.’’
She says its vets all have a real knack for diagnosis. ‘‘This is the vet clinic of all clinics I’ve worked with that I 100 per cent hand-onheart know that when they diagnose, I can make a decision wholeheartedly from their decision and know we’re on track.’’
The vets at Central had saved the life of her shelter manager’s dog. ‘‘Three different vets said to euthanise her, and Central saved her life with straightforward treatment.
‘‘They found out it was just an infection. The dog is still bouncing around Kapiti beach now.
‘‘It’s scary to think out there that that must happen a lot.’’
The business is now owned by doctors Kerry Burke, Nick Pallin, and Aaron Ruck, although Lyon still owns the building.
Lyon now lives in Marlborough but flys to Wellington every second weekend to see past clients.
He has noticed rural South Islanders have a different attitude towards animals from that of Wellingtonians. ‘‘They give me rather funny looks when I tell them I have given a drip to a hedgehog in Wellington before.’’ THE DETAILS Central Vet Hospital is holding an open day this coming Monday. Speeches start at 2pm. Central Vet Hospital, Brooklyn Rd, from 10am till 3pm. Free.