Drs. Lamar and Amber Crossland knew they wanted Sunset Canyon Veterinary Clinic in central Texas to appeal to long-time ranchers as well as to the Austin urbanites who’d fled the city for greener pastures in Dripping Springs, Texas. And the mixed animal practice also needed to accommodate a gamut of patients, from livestock to polo horses to pampered pooches. One last requirement: seamless movement between the large animal and small animal sides of the practice, because all staff members worked in both areas.

When Dr. Randy Spencer stepped outside his hospital doors 13 years ago and glanced around the growing suburb of Phoenix that surrounded First Regional Animal Hospital, he didn’t like what he saw. Ten veterinary hospitals were situated within a 3-mile radius of the practice. "That kind of competition dampens productivity," says the 1987 Colorado State graduate.

Dr. Troy Bearden likens building a new hospital to walking a tightrope without a net. "You take a chance and hope you don’t fall," he says. For him and his partner, Dr. Catherine Mabe, the risk paid off. Their 5,300-square-foot Shallowford Animal Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., more than doubles the size of their former facility and won a Merit Award in the 2002 Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition. Two years after opening, the doctors still see new-client numbers increase 30 percent a month.

General practitioners launching their own practices often start small, hoping to afford a larger space eventually. Not so with specialty/emergency practices, say Drs. Gary Block and Justine Johnson, husband-and-wife owners of Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in East Greenwich, R.I.

Drs. Buddy Smith and Benet Sandell started their building project reluctantly. Although they had contemplated renovating or rebuilding before relocating, a big push from a road project forced Hill Country Veterinary Hospital to build on a new site on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, 1/2-mile from their previous site. Today they practice in a 3,100-square-foot, award-winning facility.

Drs. Tia Greenberg and Heidi Tschauner admit that patience is not one of their virtues. With a bit less than 10 years of practice experience, the doctors joined forces to start their own veterinary hospital in a brand-new, 8,815-square-foot facility. "Our experiences working in other practices taught us how important it was that our floor plan to promote an efficient flow of traffic and that we wanted a facility that felt warm and welcoming," Dr. Tschauner says. The product of this vision, Westminster Veterinary Group in Westminster, Calif., earned the 2002 Hospital of the Year award in the 37th annual Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition.

When he moved his practice from the converted home it had occupied for 42 years, Dr. Rickey Broussard wanted to maintain the comfortable feel of the practice by building a facility that resembled Grandma’s house. And judges of Veterinary Economics’ 2001 Hospital Design competition agree that the homey front porch with brick accents gives the facility’s dramatic entrance and lofty ceilings the warm appeal Dr. Broussard strived for.

From the butterfly garden to the rattan furniture, the high-touch environment at Chico Hospital for Cats in Chico, Calif., reflects the emphasis on client comfort and reassures clients that team members treat their cats with dignity.

Dr. Richard Piepgras started working at Lakeland Veterinary Hospital his senior year of high school. During the summer visit to his family’s vacation cabin, he worked in the kennel, mowed the lawn, and even assisted in surgery. "I’ve been here a long time," says the 1967 Iowa State graduate, chuckling. Little did he know that he would someday own the practice—and build an award-winning facility to house it.