Veterinarians and reality show stars Drs. Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson are partnering with PetSmart to open a new animal hospital in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna, Georgia. The hospital is located inside PetSmart which is located at 2540 Cumberland Blvd. SE., according to Pet Product News.
The pet doctors believe partnering with PetSmart allows them to assist emerging vets in starting their own businesses.
It’s very expensive to open a hospital,” Dr. Vernard Hodges told The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“With the PetSmart model, you can come in at a really low cost.”
The new clinic is also co-owned by. Dr. Paul Norwood. The Tuskegee University graduate will serve the clinic’s primary veterinarian.
Dr. Terrance Ferguson is confident in Norwood’s animal healthcare abilities.
“You know, we wouldn’t hook our wagon up with someone that we don’t know or didn’t feel comfortable with and know that they’re gonna treat people and treat pets just like Hodges and myself do,” he said.
A grand opening celebration is happening on Sat., June 17 from 11a.m. to 4p.m. The first 50 attendees will receive a $10 gift card and the first 25 pets will receive a free dental exam.
Doctors Hodges and Ferguson will also open another hospital at the PetSmart in Warner Robins, Georgia, where Dr. Clarissa Porter will serve as its head veterinarian.
Dr. Porter worked as a technician in the Critter Fixers hospital before becoming a veterinarian. The hospital is expected to open in September 2023.
Veterinarians Hodges and Ferguson gained popularity via their reality show Critter Fixers: Country Vets which documents their daily activities as they care for household pets, farm animals and reptiles in their bustling animal hospital located in Bonaire, Georgia. The show, which appears both on the National Geographic Network and The Disney Channel, has been on the air for five seasons.
The Critter Fixers: Country Vets received a Critics Choice Award for best animal/nature show in 2022.