located at 554 Roosevelt Trail, is still going strong and growing with one celebratory change to announce. Dr. Doug Griffin, who has owned and operated the clinic for the past 43 years, has recently retired and handed the reins of ownership to Dr. Andrine Belliveau to continue the expert and compassionate care to our four-legged friends. Dr. Belliveau purchased the clinic on November 27, 2019.
Dr. Belliveau, who grew up in Bolton, MA knew from a very
early age that working with animals was her calling. “I grew up on a farm and I
loved being around and taking care of the animals,” Dr. Belliveau began. “As I
got older, I was involved in 4H, working with our goats and sheep. At the age
of 15, I started as a kennel assistant at a clinic in Lancaster, MA, eventually
working as a veterinary technician until I was 25 during school breaks and
summer months.”
Dr. Belliveau received her bachelor’s degree in Animal
Science at Cornell University within three years and went on to obtain a DVM
degree from Tufts University in 2011. For one year after graduation, she worked
at a small-animal clinic in upstate New York.
Wanting to be closer to her family, Dr. Belliveau moved to
Maine and began working at Lake Region Animal Hospital in 2012. A few years later, she transitioned to
emergency medicine. “I have seen almost
every situation imaginable,” she explained. “The experience of working in an
emergency vet clinic taught me many things that I wouldn’t have ordinarily seen
if I had only worked in a general practice veterinary hospital. The experience
exposed me to the depth and breadth of the many extraordinary situations that
occur. This helped me expand my experiential knowledge I wouldn’t have
otherwise gained. There are very few emergency situations I can’t handle now as
a result.”
Although customers will no longer see the caring face of Dr.
Griffin, they will continue to see all the other familiar, talented and
friendly staff that have been a part of the Lake Region Animal Hospital Team
for quite some time.
Dr. Andrine Belliveau with Chief Doggo, Bennett |
Another customer, Julie Largay concurs. “My family has been
taking our dogs to Lake Region Animal Hospital since at least the
1980's. The front desk staff is friendly, helpful and very
knowledgeable. We talk to Paula a lot and the techs are amazing and make
you feel like your pet is their's. I have known Leah for a number of years,
and she is smart and dependable. A few years ago, we were paired with Dr.
Seavey. As our basset hound got older, we started seeing her more and
more. She was always very honest with what his issues were, and she always
gave us a few plans for care, in case one was too expensive. It was nice
knowing that if we didn't want to pay a lot of money for a test, there was
always another direction to take. Towards the end of our basset's life,
she would email regularly to check in on him and even made a special trip to
our house to drop off medication he needed. We have taken our pets to
other vets now and then, but you cannot get the customer service, knowledge
base or compassion that you get from the team at Lake Region Animal Hospital.”
You can expect the same great service by the same friendly
faces. “Dr. Griffin owned this business for 43 years,” stated Dr. Belliveau.
“He did a wonderful job and we are going to continue in this manner in his
honor.”
For more information about Lake Region Animal Hospital, check
out their website at www.lakeregionanimalhospital.com/ or
call 207-892-7575.