Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital is more than just a place for check-ups and treatments for furry friends. It’s a place where people in the community can come to make sure their pets get the best care possible while also building a connection with the veterinarians, receptionists, and the establishment itself.
It’s normal to feel hesitant when switching to a new veterinarian or bringing a new addition to the family to their first check up, but at Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital located in Lake St. Louis, clients don’t have to worry about that. Clients are always greeted with smiles from receptionists when they first come through the door. Pets, though they may be nervous at first, get used to the environment quickly and get lots of pets and treats from the team. Why is this though? What makes Hawk Ridge different from other pet hospitals in the area?
Relationships. Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital isn’t just a regular veterinarian’s office, it’s owned by the McCann family and built on love. Dr. Hunter McCann and her father, Dr. Ryan McCann, both opened the hospital together holding on to their shared love for caring for animals. Hunter grew up caring for sick pets and assisting in surgeries at her father’s animal hospital and this was the perfect full circle to make sure they can keep experiencing magical moments together.
Kenzie McCabe (11) and her mother, Susie McCabe, both work at the Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital.
“I’ve always loved animals, but it’s not until I saw this place being built right around the corner from my house that I said, ‘I’m gonna work there,'” Susie said.
Susie has been working at the hospital for two and a half years and her daughter, Kenzie joined her when an assistant job opportunity opened up at the hospital.
“Working with my mom is a rather unique experience. I do really enjoy it and I’ve always been super close with my mom,” Kenzie said.
Kenzie has thought about going into veterinary medicine but hasn’t made any final decisions yet. She loves the environment she works in not only because of her mom, but because she gets to learn more about animals and become a family with the rest of the Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital team.
Dr. Hunter McCann, certified in veterinary medicine and the director of the hospital, strives to not only make this a welcoming place for incoming patients, but a place that’s foundation is built on relationships with each other.
“As a hospital director, the thing that weighs on me the most is just making sure everyone that works here loves being here,” McCann said. “I think that they do, but it’s something that I care about an awful lot, I think about it quite a bit.”
However, she’s not the only one who feels this way. Everyone on the team comes into work and continues to build onto relationships with pets, their families, and the rest of the team. Veterinary technicians and receptionists who are part of the Hawk Ridge team all have the same view on the importance of relationships around the hospital and the same goal which is to maintain them.
“The relationships you build with the clients and the pets is honestly my favorite part of the job,” Cathey Gruendler says, a veterinary technician at the hospital.
The relationship between the team, pets, and their families go way beyond medical care. It creates one big family and a sense of belonging that will always stay in the hearts of the team and their clients. Hawk Ridge Animal Hospital isn’t just any hospital, it’s a true community where everyone feels valued and cared for.
