When Madeline Heron’s newly adopted pinscher-chihuahua mix started having digestive problems and was diagnosed with a heart murmur by a clinic, she decided to take it to the brand-new Evanston Animal Hospital.

Within 24 hours, Heron said, her dog had been diagnosed with a more severe heart murmur and the hospital had already gotten back X-ray and blood work results.

“Everyone treated my dog with the utmost care,” said Heron, an Evanston resident. “The moment you walk in the door, you just feel welcome … and the visit was less than an hour, which is really quick.”

Heron’s experience is exactly what Dr. Gail Henry, after seven years of practicing at other Chicago-area clinics and one more of bringing her new Evanston business to fruition, said she was hoping to provide when she opened the clinic earlier this month.

Evanston Animal Hospital — located at 516 Dempster Street — is intended to fill a void in veterinary services in south Evanston, and local residents are already noticing, Henry said.

“There have been plenty of people that have come in that have said they’re so happy it’s opened up in the neighborhood,” Henry said. “For pets that maybe don’t like to travel, it’s potentially a little bit closer for them so they can just walk over, or even if they do decide to drive, that it’s a short drive.”

The clinic provides standard check-ups, dental care, spaying and neutering services and emergency treatment, such as soft-tissue surgery and digital radiography, for pets.

Katherine Gotsick, executive director of the Main-Dempster Mile association, said the large pet population in southeast Evanston, which is mostly residential and family-oriented, makes the area well-suited for an animal clinic.

“There’s clearly a lot of enthusiasm from people who are eager to have an animal hospital in this district,” Gotsick said. “I think (Henry) is really well-positioned for success given the demographics of the people here and there isn’t another vet in the immediate area.”

Gotsick said she hopes that the proximity of Evanston Animal Hospital to Thee Fish Bowl, a pet store located one block away, will benefit both businesses as well as the neighborhood at large.

The clinic has also taken steps to become a part of the local community, including hosting a tent at last month’s Custer Fair, participating in a sidewalk sale festival next week and organizing a ribbon-cutting ceremony at some point in the near future.

Henry said that community engagement seems to be paying off, as she’s seen high foot traffic since opening July 5.

“I’m hoping (we) can help feel a potential need out there for another general practice veterinarian to be in the neighborhood … for preventative care, as well as during a time of need,” Henry said.

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