BREMEN — “We have enjoyed and also struggled with remodeling the old Mobil station ourselves. We appreciate everyone in the community who has stopped to see our progress. By this time next year our building should have new parking lots,” said Dr. Chris Peterson, veterinarian and owner of St. Francis Family Pet Health Care, which recently received the Pride in Bremen award.

The award is presented to recognize improvements to private property and business districts by the Town Council of the Town of Bremen. St. Francis Family Pet Health Care received the award at the June 24 Council meeting and now has the traveling sign displayed in front of their business located at 822 West Plymouth St.

The business, which has gone through major renovations since it first opened in March of 2004, is owned by Dr. Chris Peterson, who received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1991 from Purdue, after which she spent a year in the western suburbs of Chicago practicing small animal medicine. Before moving back to the area, she also lived for more than four years in Oregon, where she practiced at the Springfield-Eugene Emergency Veterinary Hospital. She grew to love emergency medicine and surgery and is a member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.

“We hope that by choosing evening hours we can be available for emergencies as well as routine care for the pets of the working community,” commented Peterson.

From 1996 to 2004 she ran her own business, Veterinary Relief Services, in which she filled in for doctors who were sick or on vacation all over northern Indiana. She also spent four weeks teaching at Purdue’s Small Animal Clinic while one of the veterinarians took maternity leave.

“Being solidly based in Bremen and ready to stop traveling so much, the idea for St. Francis Family Pet Health Care was born,” said Dr. Peterson. “First, we thank God, our clients and their pets for making St. Francis Family Pet Health Care a success. Also, we are so thankful for the support of the town, from our families and from others like Jerry Meister and Dusty Eckman. Ziolkowski Construction helped us be able to open by allowing us to salvage practically new cabinets, cupboards, light fixtures and doors before the old Osteopathic Hospital was torn down in 2004,” Dr. Peterson remembered.

Though the full service Veterinary Hospital has physically changed drastically with new interior, new roof and façade, the business has been and always will be committed to keeping pets healthy.

“We will give you every treatment option available, treat you and your pets compassionately, continue to learn as veterinary medicine grows and share information we have learned with our clients,” noted Holly Sante, manager.

“We are not just a clinic or a hospital. St. Francis Family Pet Health Care is a place where people care about the health of your pet. We want to help you keep your pets healthy, not just treat them when they are sick,” said Peterson emphatically.

“We love pets – that’s why we are in this,” added Holly.

St. Francis Family Pet Health Care offers preventive care from vaccines to full dentistries as well as surgery, either routine or emergency, hospitalization, in-hospital lab work and radiology (x-rays).

“In the future we hope to add grooming as well as obedience training and puppy classes,” added Dr. Peterson with a smile.

For more information, visit their Web site, www.francispets