Happy 17th Birthday to our little cat Jasmine! According to online sources, that is about 84-85 in human years. I swear, she doesn’t look a day over 8. Beside all of her human family and friends, I would say the most important person in her life is her veterinarian, Dr. Douglas Fraser, VMD — founding veterinarian of Petcare Hospital and Wellness Center located just off Seattle Hill Road in Mill Creek. He has seen her since she was just a kitten, giving her her first check-up and shots when she was about 8 weeks old.

So, on this momentous occasion I decided to talk to Dr. Fraser about how he and his practice have grown and evolved right along with Jasmine. After practicing at another local veterinary office, he opened his own practice Petcare Hospital in the Gateway Shopping Center near Murphy’s Corner. We took Jaz in for her kitten check up at about eight weeks old, and I remember Dr. Fraser said he loved Tabbys and that she was the most beautiful little tabby he had ever seen. Well, of course I was the beaming “parent”. I admitted to myself, that he probably said that to all the tabbys (lol), but it spoke volumes to me about Dr. Fraser and his character. This is a vet who takes a very special interest in his patients. He took the time to make Jasmine and me, of course, feel special and know that he was really interested in her and “her family.”

When Dr. Fraser started Petcare he said that he planned to stay small to be able to keep a close personal contact with his patients, but it’s been a mixed blessing. On one hand to to hear that clients liked what he was doing for their animals and the word of mouth spread growing the business tremendously. On the other, to balance that with his passion to spend as much quality time with the owners as with their pets it became more difficult to manage, to keep that connection, to keep that ability to interact on a personal level. From a business standpoint it was a nice problem to have, but to Dr. Fraser, it is not all about business. It is about caring for the animals. So he built the current facility which was designed by wife Tammy. This allowed much more room for more veterinarians, support staff, the latest in equipment, exam rooms and luxe boarding suites for dogs and cats. Currently, the other doctor on staff is Dr. Meghan Yurenka.

Petcare Hospital and Wellness Center is a Veterinary General Practice, however they do bring in specialists for radiology, internal medicine, complex surgical procedures and oncology. Plus —> boarding, grooming, special diet pet foods and love.

Located: 4210-148th St SE  Mill Creek 98012  Phone: 425-337-5300                             Hours are:  MTWF  8-6  Thur 8-8  Sat 9-1 & Closed Sun

Additional thoughts from Dr. Fraser: “You’re planning, but it kind of took on a life of its own. The word of mouth, people are happy with what we do. We take care,  and what we do is for the right reasons. We love the animals. The staff here, I am blessed to be surrounded by all of them — the care they give the animals. I sort of live vicariously through the lives of the animals, they are like people’s kids. And now I am seeing parents’ kids coming in with their animals. And I’ve not gotten burned out. I just love the interaction with the animals and their families.”

Jaz has caught her share of birds and mice; she has survived a broken leg/hip, several kidney/bladder infections, a few cat fights, she has renal failure, and her thyroid is acting up, but she is still for the most part, a very happy, active, slightly spoiled cat. She enjoys sleeping in the sunny spots or on the heat register every chance she gets, loves her treats, and is a much loved member of our family. I thank Dr. Fraser and his staff for helping me keep her healthy and happy. I told him my memory of her first visit when he said she was the most beautiful tabby. His reply: “I’m obsessed with Tabbys.” Do tell.