Chris and Amanda Pearson open River Road Vet practice in Gympie

New veterinary clinic River Road Vet opened recently at the corner of River Rd and Gladstone Street in Gympie.

Dr Chris Pearson, the founder and owner of River Rd Vet on the corner of River Rd and Gladstone Street in Gympie.

New veterinary clinic River Road Vet opened recently at the corner of River Rd and Gladstone Street in Gympie.

Owners Chris and Amanda Pearson saw that Gympie was in need of another practice to meet the needs of its growing population.

Dr Pearson started his veterinary career in Gympie in 1998, after being born and raised in Brisbane then studying at the University of Queensland.

He and Amanda, who runs the administrative side of the business, were married in 1997, and have two sons aged 20 and 24.

The love of animals, a caring personality, a desire to help people, and an interest in science was the perfect combination of personal traits that led Dr Pearson into the profession.

“It’s a job that I still love. I think you appreciate it a lot more as you get older, and it’s enjoyable too,” he said.

“A lot of what we do is about trust as well. People put a lot of trust in us to look after their pets.

“I like establishing a strong relationship to make it more personal with lots of communication.

Dr Chris Pearson, the founder and owner of River Rd Vet on the corner of River Rd and Gladstone Street in Gympie.

“All of our appointments are 30 minutes, it’s just something that helps us spend some more time and not feel too rushed.

“We can get to know the pets as well.

“If they’re a bit anxious, we’ve got loads of treats around and other things to help them feel more comfortable.”

The biggest challenge Dr Pearson faced when opening the clinic was finding the perfect location that had good frontage, accommodated all the equipment, and good parking for the customers.

“I [found] a company that specialises in fitting out clinics from New South Wales, and I’m very happy with the result,” he said.

“There’s still council approval, and we have a regulation board that makes sure the clinic is up to standard.

“Also finding staff, but I’ve got a great little team here.

“There’s been a couple of little hurdles, but I’ve been lucky to be honest.

Helen Coulter and co-owner Amanda Pearson at the front desk of the River Rd Vet Clinic.

“It probably took about nine or 10 months to [open the business], so it’s been quite a journey.”

What sets River Rd Vets apart from other local clinics is the separated cats and dogs waiting area, housing, consulting rooms, and an outdoor waiting and examination area for dogs that are feeling particularly anxious.

“[The vet] can add to their stress a lot of the time, so we want to keep our patients as comfortable and as calm as possible,” Dr Pearson said.

“With the help of the designers, we just wanted the [perfect] layout for the clinic. That was one of my main goals.

“We’re a general practice that focuses on smaller animals, so majority are cats and dogs.”

Some of the more unusual animals Mr Pearson has treated in his career have been alpacas, llamas, camels, and echidna.

Nurses Hayley Millard and Alana McGrath care for a patient at River Rd Vet.

Dr Pearson said his favourite part of the job was diagnosing sick animals and helping them get back home to their families.

“It’s the results at the end of the day, when we can make [an animal] better and then get them home. I think that’s so rewarding.”

Besides helping other people’s pets, Dr Pearson and his wife Amanda have their own furry friends.

“We currently have three dogs and a cat. They’re two miniature schnauzers and a pug. I’ve got a cat that I actually rescued as a stray that came in,” Dr Pearson said.

“If you ask around, you’d find most vets have a pet of their own that came in as a stray.”

The Pearsons’ goals for the future of the practice is seeing it grow, but “still keeping the personal touch without making it too big” and “having a really good team”.

Originally published as Chris and Amanda Pearson open River Road Vet practice in Gympie