Monday, July 10, 2006

By LAURIE GORDON

For The Herald

WANTAGE — When Dr. Karen Bullock opened the doors of her new business, Wantage Veterinary Hospital, the second week of June, she thought she had found an area where a veterinarian was badly needed. Not only was she right, but in just over a month, she has close to 300 patients, and her practice has been nominated by Wantage to be voted the best renovation in Sussex County.

Bullock grew up in Williamstown, in South Jersey. When she became enamored with an anatomy course in high school, she knew she wanted to be some sort of doctor. She just didn't know what type. She went to Rutgers University and graduated from the school's pre-med program. But she discovered during her volunteer work at hospitals while at Rutgers that "working on humans just wasn't for me ... it just didn't feel right". She realized after working a second volunteer job at an animal hospital that working with animals was for her.

Bullock was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school and graduated in 1996. A job interview in Sussex County convinced her this was the place to be. "I'd lived in New Jersey all of my life, but had never been to Sussex County. I fell in love with it immediately with all the rolling hills and farm land," Bullock said. The county's agricultural industry also matched her desire to work with both farm animals and domestic pets.

For the next 10 years, Bullock worked and learned. After she moved to Sussex County, she met her husband, Michael Putera, and the two began talking about opening a veterinary practice about four years ago after they had their daughter, Alyssa. They considered several locations and buildings before buying a three-bay garage on Route 23. With his home improvement background, Putera did most of the work to renovate the building from a garage to a cozy veterinary office.

Bullock decided to concentrate her practice on domestic animals, which include cats, dogs, birds and reptiles. Her hunch that Wantage needed a veterinarian was correct. As soon as the doors opened on June 8, pets and their owners started flowing in. Bullock said that "cutting edge technology," digital X-ray, full surgery capabilities, a large, state-of-the-art laboratory and, above all, "high tech equipment combined with down-home, one-on-one, personal attention to each pet and owner," sets Wantage Veterinary Hospital apart from others.

On July 29, pets and their owners are welcome to visit Wantage Veterinary Hospital at an open house that will run from 2 to 6 p.m. Visitors will get a tour and a free photo ID card of their pet.

Wantage Veterinary Hospital is located at 465 Route 23 in Wantage. The telephone number is (973) 875-7297, and the e-mail address is paws@wantagevet.net. Hours are: Mondays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon.

Wantage Veterinary Hospital accepts pet insurance, as well as Visa, MasterCard and Discover.