Follow
Nestled in the midst of a revitalized Midtown Oklahoma City, Midtown Vets is making friends with its neighbors. It is part of the rise of business and community in the area. Dr. Leonardo Baez leads a team dedicated to helping pet owners keep their furry companions healthy while not breaking the bank. This is the latest chapter in Dr. Baez’ career; an almost unexpected chapter, since he opened Midtown Vets three months after he retired.
“We had the Animal Emergency Center of Oklahoma City and also the Animal Emergency Center of Norman for several years. In 2013, my wife and I decided we were going to sell those clinics and just do something else.”
Friends of Dr. Baez and his wife who lived in the Midtown area encouraged him to offer veterinary services there. It seemed to be a natural fit, because there were no veterinarians nearby. So the search began for the perfect location. That’s when Midtown Renaissance partner, Mickey Clegg, entered the picture and introduced the couple to the future location of Midtown Vets.
“It was a building we looked at my wife really, really liked,” says Baez. “A mid-century modern building right on a busy corner. So, we thought about it that night and decided, okay, let’s do it.”
Since opening on the corner of Harvey and NW 10th Street, just a stone’s throw away from Mesta Park and Heritage Hills, Baez says the community has embraced his business. His neighbors, Packard’s Restaurant, Revel Eight Salon, Paint and Palette, all dropped in to visit and offer help as the building renovation began. The same happened when the equipment and furniture were arriving. It felt like a community welcoming a new neighbor.
“It is so amazing how immediately they bring their pets and then tell their friends,” he says. “Pretty much the first two or three months that we were open, that’s all that we were getting, our neighbors.”
Baez says the business community in Midtown works to help each other succeed.
“You bring your dogs, I’ll send you people. And that’s how we operate. We are very friendly and family owned. There are very few franchises.”
This feeling of community among business owners has them teaming up. The “Midtown Merchants” are talking about synergizing resources. Baez witnessed the same sense of community when Bleu Garten Food Truck Park recently opened as his neighbor.
“It is really cool how we all help each other and are interested in everybody doing well,” he says.
The relationship with the community extends beyond business for Midtown Vets. They participate in community events and hold open houses so area residents can learn about the unique services the clinic has to offer. After 30 years in emergency medicine, Baez noticed a detachment between pet owners and their veterinarians in the care of the pet. He wanted to help owners take better care of their dogs.
“That’s what I had in mind. What sort of things we saw the most in the emergency clinic and why and trying to prevent those things.”
Midtown Vets has created a wellness plan for pets and provides pet owners with valuable information about care they might not have known. The plan includes routine vaccinations and prevention treatments. However, the unusual part of the plan is that it offers urinalysis, which can lead to the discovery of issues before they become a major problem.
“A lot of people think that just because you vaccinate your dog, your dog’s not going to get sick,” says Baez. “Then they come to the emergency clinic and say, ‘I’ve given him all the shots.’ But if you look at those shots, they are really preventing diseases that are every once in a while seen, or you never see.”
The wellness plan is made affordable by breaking up the services into 12 monthly payments.
“We’ve been extremely successful,” Baez says. “We probably have about ninety-some percent compliance rate because the client looks at it as making sense.”`
The clinic is also equipped with some of the latest veterinary technology, enhancing the overall care a pet receives. One example includes dental X-ray technology. Dr. Baez says a dog’s dental care, if done right, can add years to a pet’s life.
Midtown Vets has settled in as part of the community. Since opening, they have taken part in the Mesta Festa, held events with organizations like the Bella Foundation and the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, and hold open houses for their neighbors. Baez says there is a significant senior citizen population in the area as well. For that reason, the clinic offers a pickup and delivery service to senior citizens.
“We have our little minivan that travels and picks the pets up, then takes them back,” he says. “They are our neighbors. They don’t live very far, so we gladly go get them and take them back.”
Baez says it is nice to be a part of a community like Midtown.
“There’s an energy in Midtown that everybody wants everybody to do well. They’re creative and they’re dynamic. Friendly. People call us and ask, do you need anything? Is there anything I can do? And we try to do the same.”
Midtown Vets | 231 NW 10th St—405-606-4477—midtownvets.com
Photography by Melanie Jones Pharaoh
Follow
