Early on a Friday morning, my boss Chris and I met with Dr. Jerry Rodenbarger of Vale Park Animal Hospital. A polite and good-natured fella, Dr. Rodenbarger not only shows love for the animals that come into his care, but also for the community in which he lives.
Dr. Rodenbarger grew up on a horse farm, so his love for animals started at a young age. As far back as he could remember, his mother told him that he was going to be a doctor and take care of her. He attended Purdue West Lafayette and was in a pre-med program. After three years he switched to veterinary school.
After graduating in 1979, Dr. Rodenbarger began practicing in South Bend at a small animal hospital. He had a knowledge of horses that he wanted to utilize it so he moved to Valpo in 1981 and began caring for horses along with cats and dogs. In 1990, Dr. Rodenbarger purchased Vale Park Animal Hospital and in 1995 it became a three partner hospital with the addition of Dr. Mary Ann Sheller and Dr. Randi Olson.
With many years of experience under his belt, Dr. Rodenbarger knows a thing or two about the business and the changes that come with it. He shared words of wisdom for young veterinarians.
"Veterinary medicine is very different today than it was 25 years ago," Dr. Rodenbarger said. "There are more veterinary schools in more states and that means more veterinarians. It provides a bit of a manpower issue now. Another thing to remember is that no pet walks through the door by itself. There is always a human at the end of the leash. And so you really need to be a people person. Being able to deal with people is just as important as dealing with their pets. Also, there was very little education in regards to practice management. We knew how to treat animals but not how to run a hospital or run a business. Universities are trying to change this though."
Dr. Rodenbarger loves what he does. Though there are parts that were hard to come to terms with. Watching an animal go through it's life cycle is a special thing. From the very beginning to the very end, it's important to make hold that animal's time and life in high regard.
"They way one handles the last hours or minutes of a pet's life is just as important as when you see them when they are a young puppy or kitten. It can make closure so much better for the caregiver. I know that sounds weird, but sometimes the most loving thing is the hardest thing to do," Dr. Rodenbarger said. "Making that experience good for the owners is so important."
Dr. Rodenbarger and his staff have special relationships with the clients and their pets. Everyone who walks through that door is more than a customer.
"That's what life's all about. It's about relationships and building them. We're all here together and I love interacting with people and finding out more about them," Dr. Rodenbarger said. "And I love interacting with the pets, too. Every few weeks I'll enter an exam room and someone will say, 'My dog heard you outside the door and his tail started wagging and he got all excited'."
His love for animals and people extends beyond Vale Park. Though not originally born and raised in Valpo, he adopted the town as his own.
"I was raised to believe that everything that we have is a gift," Dr. Rodenbarger. "It's all just a gift from God. Our business runs because our community comes to see us. If no one came through the door we wouldn't be successful. We are supported by every aspect of our community whether it's the people that live here or the organizations that help to support us and so it's all about giving back. We need to respond and help give back to the community that has given so much to us."
Dr. Rodenbarger does his best to stay active. He's a part of many organizations including the Valpo Parks Foundation Board, United Way of Porter County, YMCA Foundation Board, the rebuilding of ValPLAYso and more. Concerning the build of ValPLAYso he is quite excited.
"I think that there will be young leaders emerging from this build," he said. "It's going to be fun to watch."
Dr. Rodenbarger does his best to be as involved as he can, but with work and a family it's tough to be everywhere all the time. But the things that he is involved in get all of his heart from the very beginning to the very end.
"If I'm going to do something for someone I'm going to do it right and give it one hundred percent," Dr. Rodenbarger said.
