Dr. Robyn Walter
Forest Bluff Animal Hospital
968 N. Shore Drive, Lake Bluff
www.forestbluffanimalhospital.com

Exceptional veterinary care for your companion animal.

 

Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce: What was your inspiration for opening Forest Bluff Animal Hospital?
Robyn Walter: I grew up in a rural town in Central Illinois in a home where we had pets and I always loved animals. I was one of those kids who always wanted to be a vet. When I was in high school, I started working for a vet and knew immediately it was what I wanted to do.  So, I've been doing this since I was 16! I will have been practicing for 30 years in May.  Most recently I was in a corporate [veterinarian] situation and it was not ideal for me. So, [in April] I decided to open this practice as an anti-corporate, anti-big clinic, where I could really serve the community that I live in. (We’ve lived in Lake Bluff and Lake Forest for the last 23 years.) I brought two great friends who now work with me. We love what we do, and we strive to deliver really good customer service.

LFLBC: What is your vision for the practice?
RW: I envisioned what I wanted to do here, and we just built it. We do conventional/Western medicine. We have also added therapeutic laser, an underwater treadmill, and we have a veterinarian come in to do acupuncture and chiropractic, and we treat some exotic pets, too. My vision is to have a really great working environment and keep it small so we can offer great medicine and great service.

LFLBC: What is one thing you want people to know about Forest Bluff Animal Hospital?
RW: That we love what we do. We're really here to make sure your pets stay healthy, both emotionally and physically. So, we're into physical, mental, emotional and behavioral wellness. And we’re targeting people with pets who are new to the area. We just want to help people get their puppies socialized and started off right.

LFLBC: What has been your greatest business initiative?
RW: I think it’s joining the Chamber. We just joined a few months ago, so we’re still pretty new to it, but we have loved meeting other business owners and getting involved in the community.

LFLBC: Do you work with any other local businesses?
RW: Yes…we’re working with Apex Signs, Two Paws Up, and Yuppy Puppy right next door. We’re also looking forward to getting involved in Lake Bluff’s 125^th Anniversary this year!

LFLBC: How do you give back to the community?
RW: We love to do public awareness and educational events. We did a booth on pet dental care at Gorton’s Dog Day last summer, I’ll be doing a talk on animal emergency care at the Library. We are going to do merit badges for the Boy Scouts. We’ve also collected for Toys for Tots and did a pet food drive for a nearby dog shelter. In the future, we’ll look to donate vet services for people in need through our church. We also offer a discount for active military personnel.

LFLBC: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
RW: We’re accepting new clients and we make it easy for people to transition to us. We try to be really accommodating—we do house calls and home euthanasia. We treat some exotic pets and even chickens. We try to cover all the bases. So, when you get that new pet, come see us!

 

1.27.2020