Sisters celebrate five years of operating ML Veterinary Clinic

It's been five years since sisters Dr. Trina Dutton and Dr. Heather O'Bannan took over the Medical Lake Veterinary Clinic and things have been working out so far.

"We love this community, it's been an amazing five years here," O'Bannan said.

O'Bannan and Dutton purchased the clinic from Dr. Jim Roloff, who operated it for 35 years before he retired in 2011. The sisters, who are both from Western Washington, decided to become veterinarians at a young age. They noted that embarking on a veterinary career was not easy for them.

"We were driven at a young age, and back then your high school GPA had to be perfect," O'Bannan said. "We were both valedictorians of our high school class. We worked hard and pushed ourselves."

Both sisters later earned their doctorate of veterinary medicine from Washington State University.

Dutton had been working at a clinic in the Tri-Cities while O'Bannan was finishing veterinary school when Roloff put the clinic up for sale. The sisters admitted they were not initially looking to buy a practice so early into their medical careers.

"With the economy being what it was back then, there weren't a lot of jobs available," Dutton said. "I was leaving my position in Tri-Cities, so Heather and I started looking for clinics that were for sale and found the one in Medical Lake. Dad supported us and even said 'mom (Jeanette Dutton) can help run things.'"

Shortly after they purchased the clinic, the sisters began remodeling the building. They would spend many late nights painting and installing a new floor in the waiting area.

"We'd stay here late, finishing that work and then come in a few hours later to work our shifts," O'Bannan said. "We didn't sleep much in the beginning."

The sisters also purchased new equipment and started using new medicine. They also started caring for farm animals.

O'Bannan said the clinic has doubled in size, which she said is "uncommon" for the veterinary profession.

The doctors have had to hire more veterinarian assistants and purchase more equipment. Dutton added that she has had to bring in a relief veterinarian in the past while her sister was on maternity leave.

The sisters recently purchased a new X-ray system and started opening the clinic on Saturdays, which O'Bannan said is one of the busiest days of the week for them. Dutton and O'Bannan also go on emergency calls.

"It only takes one emergency and you're very busy for the day," O'Bannan said. "You need a lot of flexibility in this field."

Dutton and O'Bannan also established a scholarship fund for Medical Lake High School seniors. The clinic serves free pie during the Medical Lake Founder's Day festival in June.

As for the future, Dutton said she and O'Bannan keep a list of ideas of "what we would like to do" in the future, such as moving the clinic into a bigger building in Medical Lake. The sisters would also like to bring on another doctor to work with farm animals.

"That won't be for a while," Dutton said. "We always want to keep improving."

MORE INFO

Medical Lake Veterinary Clinic is located at 212 E. Lake St. To contact the clinic, call (509) 299-3675 or visit medicallakeveterinaryclinic.com.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].