Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Duke.
Angela, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated from veterinary school when I was 36 years old. This was a second career for me. Previously, I had worked in corporate America doing graphic arts management. I had also been a licensed and certified paramedic. I chose to become a veterinarian because I wanted to pursue a career path that involved medicine which was and is a passion of mine, Naturally, I also had a deep love for animals and the bond between people and their beloved pets. I returned to Chicago after graduating from veterinary school and have been working in private practice ever since. After 11 years as an associate veterinarian at a small animal practice on the north side, I branched out and opened my own clinic with myself as the only veterinarian and two staff members. It is now six years later, I have approximately 30 employees, including four full-time veterinarians. We have over 10,000 pets registered in our computer system. My practice has been successful beyond my wildest dreams. I attribute this to our philosophy of being of service to pet owners and their beloved pets. I love being a veterinarian. I have learned very much about being a small business owner in the last six years as well.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I never considered that I would have 30 employees working for me who rely on this hospital for their livelihood. I take my role as an employer very seriously. It is not an easy job. There are many challenges in hiring training and maintaining employees. Other struggles have involved negotiating and maintaining the lease for my building, dealing with vendors, managing and working with unhappy or displeased clients, city regulations and codes, tax issues, human resources situations, and countless other unexpected areas of difficulty.
Please tell us about Duke Animal Hospital.
Our motto at Duke animal hospital is “Caring for your pets” and that’s what we try to do. We care about the pets that people bring to us. We also care very much about the pet parents who come through our doors. We acknowledge and deeply respect the bond between a pet and their pet parent. We understand and respect how deep that relationship can be. We are happy and grateful to provide a service that supports this incredibly important bond. We provide wellness care, illness care, and emergency medical care for dogs, cats and most exotic pets. We are skilled and experienced in internal medicine and surgery. I would say my greatest area of pride in our practice is that our primary goal is to be of service to the pets and their pet parents. At the end of the day, I always ask myself how many pets did I help today. If I helped a group of pets in a given day then I know that I also provided a service to their pet parents who come to me for help. I think what sets veterinarians apart is that we work in the absence of any verbal feedback from our patients. We have to rely on our own internal knowledge that the service we are providing is of value to our patients. It is easy for me to look into a pet’s eyes and know that I am helping them. It feels good to me.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood as it relates to my career is the first time I laid eyes on my dog Jodi. He was a tiny eight week old Pomeranian puppy and the first time I saw him he looked like a kitten. He was very tiny and fluffy. Bringing him home was the greatest moment of my life up to that point.
Contact Info:
- Address: Angela K. Duke, DVM
Duke Animal Hospital
3941 North Ashland Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60613 - Website: Www.dukeanimalhospital.com
- Phone: 773-697-9756
- Email: dukeanimalhospital@gmail.com
- Facebook: Duke Animal Hospital
- Yelp: Duke Animal Hospital
- Other: Google Duke Animal Hospital
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