The pet clinic startup story of a post-80s veterinarian
On April 26, when the reporter walked into the "Aichong" pet clinic on Fumin Road in Xingtai City, Li Chaoyang and his wife were preparing medicine for an intravenous drip for a Pomeranian. Li Chaoyang's wife, Zhai Jia, held the Pomeranian and gently stroked it to soothe its emotions, while Li Chaoyang quickly and accurately pushed the needle into a leg vein. "Doctor Li, your needle insertion is so accurate. Our dog's leg is so thin, and you got it in with one try," the Pomeranian's owner said admiringly. "Practice makes perfect. Back then, I also had to try many times before I could get it right," Li Chaoyang said.
Like many young people, Li Chaoyang, born in 1988, is lively, cheerful, talkative and loves to laugh, but after putting on his white coat and starting work, he becomes serious, earnest and meticulous. Li Chaoyang said that most people treat their pets as their own relatives and friends and invest a great deal of emotion in them. Coming to us for treatment means they trust us, and we should maintain the same rigorous work attitude as human doctors.
Although Li Chaoyang is young, he can be considered an "old" veterinarian. Li Chaoyang is from Xingtai, and his wife Zhai Jia is from Henan. They were classmates during graduate school, both studying veterinary medicine, and obtained their practicing veterinary qualification certificates in 2012. During graduate school, they began interning at the school's veterinary hospital, where they encountered many cases and accumulated considerable experience. It was also during that internship that Li Chaoyang became interested in treating pets. When he first came into contact with the veterinary profession, Li Chaoyang was very confused and did not know where he would go or what work he would do after graduation. After interning at the veterinary hospital, whenever he saw a small animal he had treated with his own hands go from sickly to lively and bouncing, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Therefore, opening a pet clinic after graduation became his entrepreneurial goal. Li Chaoyang knew well that technical skills alone were not enough without understanding business management. After graduation, he and his wife decided to first work at a relatively large pet hospital in Shenzhen, learn its advanced technology and business model, and then start their own business.
Where should the clinic be opened? After some investigation, Li Chaoyang found that in the urban area of his hometown Xingtai there were only six or seven pet clinics, but there were many pet owners. Later, with a startup loan and financial support from family, he established the "Aichong" pet clinic in Xingtai in November 2014. However, everything is difficult at the beginning. Because the business had been operating for only a short time, customers all held a skeptical attitude toward "Aichong," coming in only to ask questions, while going to other clinics for treatment. Even so, Li Chaoyang and his wife still patiently answered customers' questions and explained some knowledge about keeping pets. "When we first opened, as long as a customer came, we would be excited for the whole day!" said Li Chaoyang's wife, Zhai Jia.
But relying on professional technical service, Li Chaoyang's medical skills gained recognition from more and more people. "Our cat had a spaying surgery here. The result was very good, and the recovery was also quite fast," said Mr. Zhang, who brought his cat in for treatment. It is reported that they use a flank spaying technique for female cats. Compared with traditional spaying surgery, which opens an incision in the middle of the abdomen, the flank method opens an incision on the side of the abdominal wall. The incision is small, recovery is fast, infection is less likely, and stitches do not need to be removed after surgery. "This method is especially suitable for stray cats that have not been pregnant. They can be released the second day after surgery," Li Chaoyang said.
Since the clinic opened, Li Chaoyang has never refused any animal. No matter what illness it has or how serious the illness is, he will reduce its pain to the greatest extent possible and try his best to provide treatment. For stray cats and dogs sent in for treatment by the "Stray Animal Protection Association," he charges only the cost price. Adhering to the purpose of "reducing animal suffering and improving animal welfare," as well as a sincere service attitude, the "Aichong" pet clinic has received much praise.
Now, more and more small animals come to the "Aichong" pet clinic for treatment, and the small clinic seems crowded. Li Chaoyang plans to expand the clinic in the second half of the year so that the small animals can have a more comfortable treatment environment. At the same time, the clinic will add pet grooming services to provide small animals with higher-quality, more comprehensive service.