Biz Profile – The Dog Doc

A few weeks ago I wrote about my little dog Zacky and our visit to Salmon Brook Grooming. He recently afforded me the opportunity to visit another local business, and thought I’d give you a run down on how it went.

My wife and I have owned many cats in the 19 years we’ve been married, but Zacky is our first dog. Even though he isn’t much bigger than a cat, he apparently is much more valuable in the town of Lincoln’s estimation, because they require me to license him every year. And with the license comes everyone’s favorite experience: shots.

I don’t know anyone – man or beast – that enjoys getting stuck with a needle, so I have to say that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to a trip to the veterinarian. I had taken Zacky to see a vet in Bangor when we first got him, and I don’t think either of us will rank that among our favorite experiences. We both survived it OK, but he wasn’t arguing with me when I decided to stretch the licensing deadline a bit. However, after receiving a friendly call from the town office reminding me to obey the law, I decided to try a veterinarian a little closer to home: Dr. Joe Nesin at the Chester Animal Hospital.

I had heard good things about Dr. Nesin, but I still had my reservations. The truth is, Zacky really doesn’t care for men. He generally likes the ladies, but any guys visiting my house will tell you that it takes Zacky quite a while to warm up to them. And they aren’t trying to stick him with a needle.

I called the office to setup an appointment, and they were able to take us in fairly quickly. I remember trying to get an appointment for one of my cats a few years ago, and was told then that doctor Nesin wasn’t taking new patients. But since then Joe’s wife Melanie joined him in the practice (she’s a doctor, too), so now they can handle more patients.

Zacky’s appointment was with Dr. Joe rather than Melanie, so I was expecting to have to do the calm/wrestle/apologize routine. I brought my daughter Abby with me, figuring she could help him bear up through the trauma. But I was amazed at how well Zacky did at the visit. He really seemed to enjoy the experience, starting with the waiting room. There were enough new sights and smells there to keep him occupied, and he was calm and collected, even when another dog came out from his appointment.

When we had our turn in Dr. Joe’s office Zacky surprised me by sniffing his hand without even a growl. I can’t tell you the last time he did that well with a man, and it was really a relief, because it gave me a chance to talk to Dr. Nesin without having to wrangle my dog. He did a thorough job of checking Zacky over, and asked me all about his life, habits, and personality. Both my daughter and I felt like he was truly interested in our pet.

I also got a chance to ask Dr. Nesin a few questions about his practice. One thing you notice about the Chester Animal Hospital when you pull up is the big yellow windmill outside. Dr. Joe told me it was part of his plan to have the facility produce all its own power. A solar array is going to be installed next month that should get them completely energy independent.

While we chatted Dr. Nesin was able to give Zacky his two shots, and I’ll be darned if that dog didn’t even yelp. If the truth be told, he did better than I usually do with being stuck. He did so well with the whole visit that it makes me feel a bit foolish for putting it off for so long. Next year I won’t hesitate to setup another appointment for Zacky with Dr. Joe. If you have a pet that needs to see a veterinarian, I encourage you to give them a call. They are located on Pea Ridge Road in Chester, and their number is 794-2706. When you do, tell them Zacky sent you.