One Minute With Woodbridge Veterinary Group and Hospital
By Libby Barsky
September 12, 2008
Name: Woodbridge Veterinary Group and Hospital
Type of business: Veterinary care and medical treatment for variety of animals
Address: 424 Amboy Ave.,
Telephone: (732) 636-5520
Web site:
woodbridgevetgroup.com
Number of employees: 20
Founded: 1982
Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. M-F; Sat. 8:30 a.m.-noon; no Sunday hours. Emergency coverage supplied by Central Jersey Veterinary Emergency Service at (732) 283-3535.
Top officers: Barry Adler and Ira Niedweske met in Ohio State Veterinary Schools started practice together in 1978 in Iselin and remain partners in both hospitals with each doctor managing their own hospital -- Adler the Woodbridge Veterinarian Group and Hospital and Niedweske the Islein Veterinary Hospital.
How would you describe your business?
"We are a small animal practice caring for dogs, cats, birds, and exotics such as reptiles and tortoises," said Adler.
"We emphasize prevention as well as healing where we offer a full line of general and medical and surgical services. These include yearly physical exams, vaccinations, ophthalmology examinations, dental treatments, digital radiology, endoscopy, video ear scope and ear infection, and general surgery and obesity management programs. We also manage cardiac disease, diabetes management and administer chemotherapy.
"We also provide micro chip identification, adoption services and telemedicine with a Board consultant."
What makes your business special?
"The veterinarians and staff members who run this hospital. Everyone here has a high level of compassion. To ensure that your pet receives the best health care, we provide continuing education for our doctors and staff.
"We moved in July into a beautiful new state-of-the-art facility that provides an ultrasound unit, the latest in digital radiology, a room for endoscopy procedures, and an in-house laboratory."
What goals do you have for the business?
"The same goals we always had since we started the practice in 1982 -- to provide good medicine and good surgery."
How has the business changed?
"We have a larger facility an ultra modern facility and now. When my partner and I first began in practice, we started in a small space on
What was your most important deal?
"Moving into this hospital. We were looking for a building that would be larger and make it a modern facility and that is what this is. We purchased the building two years ago and the zoning process was six months and a year-and-a-half to build. The larger space opens up more things we can do here like having ultra sound rooms, scopes and room to do some boarding and training. People can come here with their pets and do most everything. We offer not just vet care when an animal is sick but boarding, grooming, and training."
What changes do you expect in the next 10 years?
"There are always changes in the care of animals so there is a need for good continuing education. If you stop learning, then it's time to retire. For the future, I will continue to do good surgery and hope to see my daughter Alexandra, who is a pre vet student at Skidmore, become a veterinarian and come into the practice."
What's the most important thing you've learned in your business?
"To stay current on all your education and practice with compassion. Compassion is very important and includes compassion for both the owner and the pet."
What advice would you give to someone considering your line of work?
"You have to like people as well as animals there are two ends on every leash. That's what I say when kids come in here and they tell me they want to be vets because they ‘love animals'. You also have to appreciate the person at the other end.
"We also provide with colleges the opportunity for veterinarian students to intern with us."
Is there anything else you would rather be doing?
"No. I've never regretted it. It's what I always wanted to be since I was a little boy. I still enjoy waking up every morning and I love coming to work every day and still work over 60 hours a week." oises."