Drs. Gale Kerr and Elizabeth Lauron were tired of working in a cramped, secluded facility. They had outgrown Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Grove City, Ohio—an unattractive log cabin accessed only through a back alley. “The place was so small, you could stand at the front door and basically see everything that was going on in the hospital,” Dr. Kerr says. “We said ‘Excuse me’ a lot.”

The doctors began searching for a new facility, and inspiration soon struck Dr. Lauron. She noticed a for-sale sign in front of then-vacant Concord Methodist Church. The congregation had merged with another church, and church officials hoped to save the 150-year-old building from demolition. But developers planned to build a coffee shop on the site, and it seemed the building would soon be a pile of rubble. Then Drs. Kerr and Lauron swooped in, and Concord Chapel Animal Hospital was born.

The pair purchased the building and began the remodel in September 2007. It wasn’t hard to find an architect: Dr. Kerr’s husband, Dave, happened to be an associate at an architectural firm in nearby Dublin, Ohio. The team did its best to maintain the historical integrity of the building, starting with the nine-foot-tall stained glass windows that line the walls. They took advantage of the building’s high ceilings, squeezing in a mezzanine containing a break room and doctor’s office above the exam rooms. Most of the original church pews were donated to the local historical society, but a few were modified to become exam room and lobby seating.

Surprisingly, the building was in great shape and required few modifications—leveling an uneven floor was the only major repair needed. This kept the construction process on schedule, and the doctors opened for business in January 2008. Voters at dvm360.com made Concord Chapel Animal Hospital the overwhelming first-ever People’s Choice Award winner.

According to Dr. Kerr, client review has been favorable. “Everybody loves the fact that we kept the building, which would have likely been demolished had we not converted it,” she says. And the building’s visibility has paid dividends for the practice. Revenue is up about 20 percent, and the practice receives two to three new clients every day. “We saw quite a bit of growth right off the bat,” Dr. Lauron says. “This building has really boosted our business.”

To view photos and information about Concord Chapel Animal Hospital, along with the other People's Choice entries, click the links below.

The winner: Concord Chapel Animal Hospital

All entrants:

1. Alicia Pet Care Center
2. All Dogs and Cats Veterinary Hospital
3. Androscoggin Animal Hospital
4. Animal Care Hospital, PLLC
5. Animal Clinic of Sterling Heights
6. Animal Hospital at Brier Creek
7. Animal Hospital of Polaris
8. Animal Hospital of Wenatchee
9. Animal Wellness Center of Monee
10. Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists
11. Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital
12. Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital
13. Bollinger Canyon Animal Hospital
14. Briarcrest Veterinary Care Center
15. Brown Trail Animal Hospital
16. Butterfield Animal Hospital
17. Cat Clinic of Chattanooga
18. Central Veterinary Hospital, PC
19. Concord Chapel Animal Hospital
20. East End Veterinary Medical Center
21. Fish Hawk Animal Clinic
22. Gambrills Veterinary Center
23. Hillside Animal Clinic, Inc.
24. Loyal Companion Animal Care
25. Mt. Tabor Veterinary Care
26. New England Equine Practice
27. Pikesville Animal Hospital
28. Prescott Animal Hospital Equine Center
29. Rivertown Animal Hospital
30. Serenity Animal Hospital & Pet Resort
31. South Hill Veterinary Hospital
32. Southeast Veterinary Oncology
33. The Animal Doctor, Ltd.
34. Union Pet Clinic
35. Veterinary Surgical Associates/Veterinary Medical Specialists/Tri-Valley Animal Emergency Center
36. Veterinary Village LLC
37. West Chelsea Veterinary
38. Westbury Animal Hospital
39. Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital and Veterinary Emergency Hospital