Come Monday, Crookston-area pet owners who bring their canines and felines to Valley Animal Hospital will notice something different about the veterinarian there – namely, the gender.
Dr. Leah Faudskar is taking over the practice of Dr. Bruce Pierce, who ran the business for the last 35 years. But a friendly familiar face will still greet customers..
“For the most part, it will be business as usual, although there will be a few small changes,” said Barb Radi, who has served as Pierce's office manager for nearly 13 years. “And I'll be here, so our regular customers will at least know someone.”
Hearing nothing but good things about Radi, Faudskar said she looks forward to having her as her right-hand girl in Crookston.
“I'm glad Barb will be here to show me the ropes during the transition period,” she said. “She knows the clients and their animals, and the ins and outs of the business.”
Faudskar also owns Prairie Pet Clinic in Fosston and will be commuting between the two. Pierce has operated Valley Animal Hospital in Thief River Falls for almost as long as the Crookston clinic and will continue to do so.
The old
Pierce graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973 and came to Crookston in 1975 after working for two corporate practices in Twin Cities and a practice in International Falls, which he was supposed to have the option to purchase.
“The owner backed out and I had nowhere to go,” he said. “So I started looking around and found there weren't any veterinarians down around here. Recognizing the need, I opened this clinic.”
He noted that there had been a vet in Crookston many years earlier, but he didn't know when or what ever became of him.
Six months after opening the Crookston practice, Pierce started his Thief River clinic. Running half days at each, he drove back and forth while living in Crookston the first five years. He and his family then moved to Thief River.
“I've kept very busy between the two places,” he said. “I figure I've worked 65 hours a week for 35 years, so now maybe I can get down to a full-time job.”
Although the roads between Thief River and Crookston weren't always the greatest, Pierce said he had few complaints about the commute. “I suppose I probably missed 15 days in 35 years.”
Like medical doctors who've practiced for years, Pierce said he now serves people who are children and grandchildren of earlier clients. There are also the offspring of patients.
“Every once in a while we'll get someone who says, 'we remember bringing this little guy's grandma in here,'” said Radi.
Pierce said he's grateful for the support the Crookston community has shown.
“I want to thank everyone for their patronage over these 35 years,” he said. “It's been a pleasure to serve here, but my wife and doctor are telling me to cut back, so I think it's time.”
The new
Faudskar also graduated from the U of M College of Veterinary Medicine, in 1987. She completed an additional year of training in a medical/surgical internship at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and returned to the U of M to develop and complete a residency in emergency medicine and critical care. She became the first vet in Minnesota to train and certify in this specialty. She practiced emergency medicine for 12 years in the Twin Cities area and also taught vet students at the U of M before moving her family to rural Winger to open her Fosston clinic in 2002.
Although she was raised in the Twin Cities, Faudskar married a McIntosh native, Woody Enerson, which is what brought them to Winger, to live in his grandparents' home with their two children, who are now in college.
“I think I've adapted quite well to rural living,” she said.
Fosston's population is only around 1,600, but Faudskar said the city is basically in the middle of Crookston, Thief River and Bemidji, where other vets are located, so many of her clients come from nearby towns and rural areas.
“It's amazing how far people have to travel to get medical care for small animals,” she said.
She had considered buying Pierce's practice in 2003 but decided to just stick with the Fosston practice at the time. Then Pierce recently started talking about leaving Crookston.
“The time is right now,” she said. “It would be a sad thing if this clinic closed down. There would be a big empty space here.”
Faudskar noted that veterinarians' work is similar to medical doctors', but in some ways more difficult because of all the different kinds of animals you learn about.
“Veterinary medicine has changed a lot,” she said. “It used to be more of a thing for large farm animals and pets just didn't get treated. Now, there are so many more things we can do, with a number of specialties within the profession.”
One of the noticeable changes at the clinic will be the presence of Julie Solie, certified veterinary technician, when the doctor is in. Faudskar said Solie, who works beside her in Fosston, will also commute with her to Crookston.
“A vet technician is kind of like a nurse practitioner,” Faudskar explained. “She can monitor anesthesia, provide surgical assistance, do lab work and other patient care duties that take some of the load off of me. She's a vital part of this practice.”
Faudskar's husband will probably be around frequently as well, she said, as he works in the business end on various matters.
The hours of operation are changing slightly from before. The doctor will be in on Monday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday afternoons from 1- 5 p.m. and Wednesdays all day. Radi noted that the office would be open longer although the hours aren't yet carved in stone. Current office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It's nice to have a full day for the bigger surgery patients, like spays,” said Faudskar. “The way pain medicine and anesthesia are now, they wake up from surgery, feel good and are ready to go home, like outpatient surgery. I like to have animals home at night after surgery. They're happier and pets don’t want to be away from their home. They need that extra TLC from their owners.”
The biggest change for the office, at least in Radi's opinion, will be the automation. Faudskar said the Internet is set for hook-up this week and a computer will soon be in place with the specialized software used at the Fosston office.
“I've done everything by hand for years,” said Radi. “Only in the last few years did we get office equipment like a copier and fax machine. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.”
Faudskar is excited, too, about the prospect of starting a new era in Crookston.
“I'm looking forward to meeting and serving the people of Crookston and hope to do so for years to come,” she said.
Contact Valley Animal Hospital at (218) 281-4231 or stop by at 214 S. Main St.
Crookston, Minn. —
