Conversations with Dana Novara, DVM, CCRT

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Novara, DVM, CCRT.

Hi Dana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started in the veterinary profession at 15 years old, cleaning kennels for my local veterinary hospital. I continued to work in various roles in hospitals through my undergraduate and veterinary school, learning technical and communication skills from many wonderful vets and veterinary technicians. After graduation from vet school at the University of Minnesota, I worked as a small animal veterinarian for a corporate veterinary group. Finding out quickly that I loved working with people as well, I moved into leadership positions helping mentor other doctors and teams. I had the opportunity to work on veterinary boards, speak at national conferences and publish articles during my time in leadership. From there, wanting to have more of an impact on my local community and environmental sustainability in hospital settings, I opened my own practice at the end of 2021. Now, 2.5 years later I have two partners and a second location in the Westminster area where we are able to focus on community activism and sustainable veterinary practices.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any entrepreneur ever has a completely smooth road! Our first hospital was a new start up during COVID, which had many challenges. From lease negotiations to permitting problems to shipping delays it seemed like all of the usual problems that can come up during normal times were very amplified during the pandemic. With the second location being an existing hospital we had very different challenges. As a private buyer in the veterinary space right now, we were forced to compete with corporate buyers and struggled to get a loan that would allow us to be competitive. At the end of the day it is all worth it, but there have been many sleepless nights along the way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are veterinarians and certified rehabilitation therapists. Rehabilitation therapy is equivalent to physical therapy in humans. We specialize in helping patients recover after surgery, manage arthritic pain in old age and help with strength and endurance training. Our hospital is also a full service veterinary hospital along with rehabilitation center, making us uniquely qualified to help with every life stage/event in a pet’s life.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Find people in your community that you respect and put yourself out there. Cast a wide net – not everyone that you want to connect with will be the right fit or even have time/space to connect, so ask multiple people. If you do not need specific professional mentorship, then look at other options. Walk around your community and go into shops, restaurants and other businesses to see if you can chat with the owner. The best connections I have made have been from my local business neighbors that have nothing to do with veterinary medicine. Sometimes a mentor can come from a different profession.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.urbanpawvet.com
• Instagram: @urbanpawvet
• Facebook: facebook.com/urbanpawvet
• Linkedin: Urban Paw Veterinary Health and Rehabilitation
• Twitter: @urbanpawvet
• Yelp: Urban Paw Veterinary Health and Rehabilitation