A love of animal medicine fosters Assisi Veterinary Hospital

The Herald sat down with Dr. Rick Guzman, owner and operator of Assisi Veterinary Hospital in Malverne, and office manager Maria Rodriguez.

When and why did you open the veterinary hospital?

Dr. Guzman: We opened seven years ago because we felt there was a need in the community for a veterinary hospital. I’ve been working in veterinary hospitals since I was 15-years-old, volunteering and doing whatever I could to get my hands dirty. It’s something I was born to do. It was kind of a no-brainer.

What other services are offered here?

Dr. Guzman: We try to make it so our clients don’t to have to go anywhere else for their veterinary care and animal needs. We operate a kennel, a grooming facility and a fully staffed veterinary hospital. I don’t think there is a service that we won’t do for our clients.

How do you make your business animal friendly?

Dr. Guzman: We made everything animal friendly, the list of what we do is endless. I have worked in so many veterinary hospitals, so I took the good pieces from each of those hospitals and brought it here. Dogs are walked and we have a playroom. We try to separate the dogs from the cats. The cats are kept upstairs, especially when they’re boarding, so they are not near the barking because that stresses them out. Our type of filter unit is 100% fresh recycled air, so I don’t have to worry about kennel cough or a sick dog contaminating my other patients because that air is going right outside and filtered out.

What goes into running a veterinary hospital?

Dr. Guzman: A lot. If you don’t love what you do, you might as well just stay home or else it’s impossible to do it. It’s both patience and patients. You have to relax, make sure everything comes and that you’re not rushing anything, and it’s also about the animals