Heart of Georgia cares for Middle Georgia’s best friends

Published 1:56 pm Thursday, November 3, 2016

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — While most professions carry a certain amount of day-to-day change and variability, most people can say they go to work every day with a pretty basic idea of what to expect. Dr. Dean Campbell doesn’t enjoy the same luxury. In his time as head veterinarian at Milledgeville’s Heart of Georgia Animal Care, Dr. Campbell has seen thousands of “patients” of all different types of animals, each one with a unique affliction that demands his attention, and is different from any others he’s seen before.

“We see all companion animals, exotics, birds and large animals brought to us,” Campbell said. “We perform general surgery, procedures for general care, and more technical surgeries for soft tissue concerns and orthopedics. For example, Perineal urethrostomy, surgeries for patella and knee problems and fracture stabilization.”

Indeed, the doctor ought to know pretty well by now. In the time since his clinic’s opening in 2008, Campbell and his staff have taken in a volume of patients that is nothing short of enormous. By the doctor’s own estimation, more than 22,000 pets come through Heart of Georgia’s doors every year. Last year they cared for more than 25,000. With such a staggering number of patients every day, Heart of Georgia’s clients can at least rest assured that Campbell and his colleagues will not be out of practice. People seem to have taken notice, too. Heart of Georgia serves more than 7,000 regular clients from around Middle Georgia, each of them entrusting the clinic with the health and wellbeing of their closest companions. Campbell takes this wellbeing very seriously: his desire to care for others’ pets was awakened in his youth, when a diligent vet nursed one of his own trusted companions back to health.

“At age 9, I had a young horse fall in farm equipment and was injured badly on all four legs,” the doctor recalled. “Our family veterinarian worked on her for more than four hours and came back over the next few weeks to follow up. That horse healed and went on to be a great show horse and wonderful for pleasure riding.”

With so many patients in and out the door every day, it’s fair to wonder if Heart of Georgia’s staff can keep up with so many patients. With so many repeat customers though, it seems as though Campbell and his staff have managed the feat pretty well. Although just keeping track of so many patients seems a challenge in itself, Heart of Georgia has won over its many customers by giving them the best experience it can.

“We strive every day to provide the best medicine and service we possibly can while trying to balance that against the cost of those services,” said Campbell. “We make a special effort to maintain as low as prices as the cost of goods will allow.  We have been told that things that set us apart are our friendly staff, early drop off before normal business hours, client contact in relation to the services and surgeries we are providing their pet and our emergency care for our patients.”

Truly, the health of a pet is not something that can be entrusted lightly to anyone. However, you don’t win over as many people as Heart of Georgia has without doing something right. For his part, Campbell is simply happy at the chance to heal and care for so many of his customers’ best friends. When asked about his favorite part of running the clinic, he cited the “pleasure in knowing we help thousands of families keep their pets healthy and living good, high-quality lives, and

 the personal satisfaction from relieving pain and illness from the pets we see.”

Indeed, more than most, Campbell knows the positive impact that a pet can have. Unconditional love and companionship is something that only a trusted pet can give, and the staff at Heart of Georgia puts the health of their patients front and center, whether it’s a simple checkup for an energetic puppy or a giving needed treatment to an old friend.

“While medicine is not exact and not every story has a happy ending, the effort is worth it,” said Campbell. “We are striving every day to fulfill our duty as stewards of animals and their wellbeing.”

Heart of Georgia Animal Care is located at 62 Highway 22 West, Milledgeville. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It can be reached by phone at (478) 452-0200, and online at heartofgeorgiaanimalcare.com.