Helping Hands Heal at Oak Forest Animal Clinic

Oak Forest residents might have to leave town for many services, but veterinary care isn't one of them. The four-legged, furry friends of Oak Forest residents can find anothe helping hand in Oak Forest.

Oak Forest Animal Clinic, located at 15701 S. Cicero Ave, is a destination for over 8,000 families from all over the southwest suburbs.

The clinic has been helping people help their pets since the early 1960's.  The owner of the clinic is Dr. Craig Welbourne. He joined the clinic in 1978, and became owner in the late 1990s.

In 2003, Dr. Welbourne was joined by his son, Dr. Ben Welbourne, and his daughter-in-law, Dr. Megan Welbourne.

You can see where the common last names might lead to confusion, so the staff refers to the doctors as Dr. Craig, Dr. Ben, and Dr. Megan.  This informality seems to reinforce the personal care approach the family works to extend to the patients.

"Our philosophy is simple," said Dr. Ben.  "We treat your pet like we would treat our own pet.  We're not going to make recommendations that aren't necessary."

"We see ourselves as a boutique veterinary clinic," he added.  "We're small enough that we know the families."

All three doctors handle vaccinations, minor surgeries, and routine visits from their furry patients, but each has their special interest, as well.

Dr. Craig likes to use natural remedies to compliment traditional treatments. Dr. Ben handles minor orthopedic surgeries and ultrasound. And Dr. Megan like to to handle dermatology, skin care, and internal medicine.

"If a pet comes in limping, they send it to Ben," said Dr. Megan.  "If it has allergies, they call me. We all compliment each other pretty well."

Their patient care approach is impressive, but what sets their clinic apart is their technology.

"We're one of the few clinics in the area that performs ultrasounds," said Dr. Ben. They have two ultrasound machines, which leads to a lot referrals from other animal clinics.

They also have digital X-ray equipment, and they perform cold laser treatments.

"Cold laser is a great tool," said Dr. Ben.  "We're having a lot of success treating arthritis, pain management, wound healing, rehab, and a lot of other conditions."

The clinic is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association.  There are only 5,000 clinics in the country that share this distinction.

As you might imagine, handling a busy clinic requires some support staff.  Sixteen people work with the doctors, including the clinic co-managers, Flo Loiacono and Sharon Wheeler.  Both women joined the clinic in 1989.

"Most of us have been here for a long time," said Loiacono.  "It's a great place to work."

The head veterinary technician is Debbie Tuider, and the other techs are Terri Potocki, Brittany Severino, and Shaylee Loy.

Reception is handled by Paty Salgado, Kaitlin Damico, and Brittany Doyle.

The seven members of the kennel staff are Helen Meileur, Kathy Pietrzyk, Lauren Adduci, Matt Benoit, Brent Heidegger, Rhonda Bonecki, and Becky Crosgrove.

The tough economy has taken its toll on the clinic.  Their business is down about 10-15%, but Dr. Ben doesn't see much change in the attitude of his clients.

"The residents of Oak Forest are good, hard-working people," he said.  "A lot of them have been hit hard by the recession, but they still do everything they can to help their pets."

The website for the clinic has a smorgasbord of animal information, including 110 pages of pet health articles.  Check it out at www.oakforestanimalclinic.com. 

You can reach the Oak Forest Animal Clinic at 708-687-0110.

PLEASE VISIT the Oak Forest Animal Clinic listing in the Patch Places directory for more information.