Jane Linden, Providence River Animal Hospital owner, talks pets

Jane Linden and friend. /(ADD) VENTURES

If you ask Dr. Jane Linden, the owner of Providence River Animal Hospital, how her family of four manages to take care of their four dogs and two cats, she’ll shrug, “We just do. We have a routine down.” When you love animals as much as Linden does, you make it work – they are worth the trouble.

For Linden, four-legged friends have always been more than pets. When she was still in elementary school, her family welcomed a Labrador named Tara, a dog that not only helped Linden cope with her father’s death, but also inspired her to eventually become a veterinarian.

While Linden has been passionate about animals since the age of 9, when she met Tara, she hasn’t always known that they would guide her career choice. In 1981, the New Jersey native arrived in Providence to study Judaic studies at Brown University. She continued her education at Boston University, where she concentrated on social work for nine years. After receiving a master’s degree and witnessing insurance cutbacks, as well as little growth development in patients with chronic mental illness, Linden became disenchanted with the milieu of constant distress.

She went back to school once again, taking pre-vet classes at the University of Rhode Island and ultimately attending Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, where she studied for four years. After her 1999 graduation, Linden trained for a year in small animal medicine and surgery at Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital in Springfield, Mass. For the next five years, she worked in a private practice in Norton, Mass.

Forced to wear a white coat, Linden felt she was asked to follow someone else’s idea of what an animal hospital should be. Determined to remain true to herself, Linden knew that she couldn’t be the kind of a veterinarian that she hoped to be in this clinic. She wanted to sit on the floor with her patients, to maintain a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere not only for the pets, but also for their owners. Linden yearned to open a calmness-inducing place that would beguile with care, knowledge and warmth.

She also knew where she wanted to open her dream hospital – Providence; “I love this city.” Saddened that young people are beginning to leave due to a struggling economy, Linden is hopeful that the capital city will be great once again. Ten years ago, she saw a need for an animal hospital and, knowing that she was the type of person who wanted to own one, established Providence River Animal Hospital (PRAH). Now she gets to wear fleece, khakis and colored jeans to work. No more sterile scrubs!

She believes that her practice differs from others. “It’s the kind of place where people know that, when they bring their pet, we’re there to hear what they have to say.” Linden explains that they serve clients from every area of the city, and not everyone can afford all kinds of treatment. That’s why they offer a variety of options. The staff listens to the concerns their clients voice and fulfills those needs accordingly.

Linden says that even though it’s an animal hospital, 90 percent of her job involves dealing with people. She considers the nurses to be the lucky ones – they’re performing patient care, while she is consoling the owners – people who have sick pets. They’re scared, anxious and upset, requiring a gentle approach. Linden admits, “Being able to help them through [their ordeal] is my favorite part of the job.”

She feels that her experience as social worker benefits her daily interactions with clients. Linden guides owners’ choices regarding the type of care their pet needs, whether or not to put a pet to sleep. “All those conversations are hard and challenging, but it’s one of the things I’m good at – helping people make decisions they’re comfortable with,” she sums up.

One way PRAH is able to get to the core of the clients’ needs is by booking longer-than-average appointments. Linden believes that people need time to talk about what’s happening with their pets. She laments the fact that hospitals lose their soul after they are acquired by large corporations. At PRAH, Linden tries to hold onto the raison d’être. “We don’t want people to feel like they’re going to a factory.” Linden takes the time to learn about her patient. Only then does she advise certain measures, such as the Lyme vaccine – an unnecessary treatment for dogs that are not running around in an area with ticks.

The extra appointment time comes in handy when Linden sees the need to dissuade her clients from blindly adhering to a breeder’s advice. This is her only gripe with pet owners, most of whom are well-informed about the best care for their pet, thanks to information available on the Internet. Linden wishes clients would realize that breeders’ recommendations are general, while her staff’s suggestions are personalized and backed by scientific evidence and years of study. She brings up the example of a client who put his dog on a specific diet that clearly was not working for the dog, despite the recommendation of the breeder. The situation calls for flexibility.

The same goes for clients’ refusal to vaccinate their dogs against rabies until the dogs turn one. While breeders recommend such a course, she thinks that sometimes it’s best to vaccinate as early as 12 weeks.

In addition to her extensive education, Linden continues to learn about the pet world by attending conferences. Twice a year, she joins other hospital owners at VSG – Veterinary Study Groups – as they get together to focus on client care, latest medical developments, management issues, as well as veterinary hospital and medicine trends. The organization’s website reads, “Coming together to help each other succeed.”

Considering how busy PRAH is, and Linden says they regularly get swamped, the conferences – and her vision – are working.

Irina Missiuro is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.