What follows is a very detailed interview between North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic's Dr Katz owner and Tyeshawn Gales, the Office Manager and Atlanta Dog Scene today and it was a true pleasure.

Me: How long has North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic been providing services?

Dr. Katz: He has owned the practice for the last 15 years but was working there 15 years prior to that and practice has been there for 40 years.

Me: I would say very well rooted in the Atlanta area taking care of our four legged family members.

Me: What services do you specialize in?

Dr. Katz: Medical, examinations, surgeries, retail.

Me: Do you have special qualifications, service or awards?

Dr Katz, has a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgia State University.Then deciding to follow his drean to become a veterinarian, he returned to school and later obtained his DVM degree from the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine.

*Dr. Katz is a member (GVMA)

*He serves on several committees like the emergency disaster management.

He is also consultant to Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta

Dr. Katz definitivly gets the Atlanta Dog Scene “Compassion For The Canine” thumbs up!

Dr. Katz: As a after hours assurance member, dog owners can call a vet on duty explaining the situation and the vet can determine if the dog just need a prescription, emergency room visit or it could waiit till Monday to be seen at the clinic. This service could save the dog owner many dollars over time. Dr Katz says that close to 90% of those after hours or would be emergency calls turns out to be not all out emergencies.

Me: How many vets do you have on staff?

Dr. Katz: 3 full time and one part-time

Me: Can you tell us a bit about the emergency care and hours that you provide?

Dr. Katz: As a after hours assurance member, dog owners can call a vet on duty explaining the situation and the vet can determine if the dog just need a prescription, emergency room visit or it could wait till Monday to be seen at the clinic. This service could save the dog owner many dollars over time. Dr Katz says that close to 90% of those after hours or would be emergency calls turns out to be not all out emergencies.

Me: What should someone know before bringing their pet in for services for the first time?

Dr. Katz: Bring in your dog for a meet and greet, get familiar with the doctors, get some education and tips learning what to expect and some could also be what kind of additional cost you could expect as a new dog owner.

Me: Are you involved with any charitable organizations?

Dr. Katz: They are involved with Golden retriever rescue of Atlanta, Atlanta lab rescue, they attend schools giving kids education on help their four legged friend stay strong and healthy. They have sponsored a couple of church members that are in need.

They also take care of the Dekalb county police dogs, fire and sheriffs dogs.

Me: Are there any insurance plans that you would recommend to dog owners

Dr. Katz: VPI has been a great provider of insurance for pets, haven't heard any complaints about their coverage and been around for a while.

Dr Katz also suggest opening a savings account and monthly deposits will help at the time when dog owners need to cover additional cost.

Me: What would you say is the most serious and consistent condition that you have been treating here recently?

Dr. Katz: The most consistent issues that they see with dogs is skin irritation, itching, fleas, and many allergies related to the skin and dogs coat.

Dr Katz recommend that we have our four legged family members to be seen twice a year to allow the ability to see potential problems in advance as well as just keeping them healthy

Me: Do you have any suggestions to someone thinking of adopting a dog?

Dr. Katz: suggest being very careful when either purchasing or adopting, so your research, go visit the dog shelters, seeing the different temperaments and possibly getting some back ground information on your new pup.

Consider this as a long term commitment get a dog to become a member of your family and that making every attempt to find the best fit for you and the dog is vital to having a loving and happy relationship. Your Lifestyle should really be taken in account when considering what type of dog will be the best fit.

Say your a runner that wants to take the dog along for a 2 mile trot, then I wouldn’t suggest a Pomeranian unless you want to carry them the whole way because their less are way to short for that.

Dr Katz: suggest All future dog owners to consider the following:

*Where you live, in a condo, apt, or house?

*Do you have time to take care of a dog?

*Do you have time for grooming the dog?

*Do you have the time or the areas to walk the dog?

*Are you ready for a lifestyle change (in a good way) caring for a dog?

Me: Are there any dog shelters you would like to recommend to those future dog owners.

Dr. Katz: Barking Hound Village for instance does a great job even with the contract for Fulton county shelter, PAWS Atlanta and a few others are gaining more awareness of the need to provide better services for the dogs in need of a forever home.

Me: Let me tell you Atlanta dog lovers that from the moment that I entered North Dekalb Veterinary doors I was greeted with a warm presence from Eileen the receptionist and Dr Katz and Tyeshawn Gales, the office manger gave me their time, valuable information, and a deep sense of compassion for their profession and our dogs.

Your four legged family member deserves that kind of treatment