HOWELL
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: New Howell veterinary hospital
in the works
BY MICHELLE GLADDEN
STAFF
WRITER
By month's end, Meredith Weltner-Sharin's dream will come to
fruition when a construction crew breaks ground at the south side of
Route 33 in Howell, near Colts Neck Road.
"It's just property right now," the Belmar resident said of the
state-of-the-art full-service veterinary facility she will open at
the site. "Construction will go on throughout the winter and spring
for a 2007 opening."
The dream began at age 16 when Weltner-Sharin took a job at
Monmouth Animal hospital in Little Silver.
"My job at the time was cleaning cages and taking care of
boarding the animals," she said. "I learned so much about the
human/animal bond. I'd always had my own pets but seeing it from the
other side was what made me realize that I could help people with
their pets."
Following graduation from the University of Pennsylvania's School
of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, Pa., in 1997, Weltner-Sharin
interned at the Philadelphia Zoo before joining the staff at
Stafford Veterinary Hospital.
"I was fortunate to work with good mentors," she said. "I'm
grateful for the years of guidance that allowed me to reach this
point in my career."
But what she wanted was a hospital of her own.
Weltner-Sharin said she began developing her plan for what will
become the full-service small-animal hospital 10 years ago.
"We'll primarily treat dogs, cats and pocket pets — anything that
is nonpoisonous," she said.
Designed with a barn-like facade, the 6,000-square-foot Barnside
Veterinary Hospital will offer luxury boarding rooms, an in-house
laboratory, dental care, X-ray unit, laser surgery and noninvasive
diagnostics such as radiology, electrocardiogram and ultrasound
machines, she said.
"My idea with the style of the building was to retain Howell's
equestrian style and rural heritage," she said.
But the inside, Weltner-Sharin said, will incorporate
cutting-edge technology and practices.
"With all the new changes in science and technology, I'll be able
to help clients give their pets the longest and healthiest lives
possible," she said. "There is so much new information out there,
(pet owners) need a general practitioner who can break it down and
help them decide what's important for their pet and their family
situation."
This will include everything from whether a pet owner should move
forward with procedures such as organ transplants to acquiring pet
health insurance, she said.
"My role is to help people meet some of the basic needs of their
pets with the highest quality diagnostics and equipment possible,"
she said.
While they wish her well, co-workers say Weltner-Sharin will be
missed. She will soon leave the Ocean County Hospital to concentrate
on the her Monmouth County hospital's construction.
"I'm so excited about everything that is going on," she said.
Weltner-Sharin said she is seeking applications for certified
veterinary technicians and assistants, and will work to oversee the
project.
Michelle Gladden: (732) 643-4213
