Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Weinberg, DVM.
Steve, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Graduated UC Davis Vet School 1985 – Moved to SF played in a band and worked relief per diems after a six month intense 1st job at a multi-doctor practice. Started the first vaccine clinic in SF. Started doing house calls in SF until 1990 and moved back to LA. Wrote screenplays, played in a band, tried to make it in the industry. Released a holiday music video “Hanukkah Homeboy” in 1992 that still plays today. Worked veterinary relief all through the 90’s, Got married the year I started Mobile Pet Veterinary in 1997 serving Greater LA. We and had a son and a daughter. I finally stopped working for other practices in 2005 upon founding 911 VETS®. We had a few doctors and technicians who provided in-home pet medical care as well as a 24-hr Dispatch line. The Company grew as I continued to write songs and front my band projects and soon had my son drumming for our band Anaconda Limousine. In 2010 we opened our flagship veterinary clinic that allowed us to provide our own surgical, dental, imaging and hospitalization services.
The mobile practice grew while we turned our clinic into a co-op arrangement for independent veterinarians. 2017 and the building was sold to be changed into a larger one and our plans to move into another larger clinic fell through. 911 VETS added the name PriVET to signify more of why we exist. Private Veterinary Concierge service. 911 VETS will forever be our emergency mobile service providing emergency house calls and critical transport. However, we are more than emergency care, we provide reduced-stress, expert veterinary medicine in the comfort of home. Our home office in Mar Vista serves as the hub for our mobile veterinary service for the Greater LA Area. Several trained dispatchers are working remotely but here in the Home Office we have our lab, pharmacy, online store, as well as our administrative offices. 911 VETS PriVET continues to expand adding vehicles, technicians and doctors while aiming to expand to Orange, Ventura, San Diego and beyond this decade. And there’s still the music.
Great, 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?
Being a musician and filmmaker as well as a veterinarian has been the biggest struggle. They say never to be a slave to two masters. But that’s what I have been my whole adult life. I always thought somehow that I could be both and be successful at both. But it takes twice as long to do two things. Along the way fitting in being a husband who’s the sole source of income, supporting a family of four, trying to build something special in veterinary medicine, and trying to maintain that artistic balance is a huge struggle. When we opened the clinic in 2010 is wasn’t the best of times. We had a lot of trouble for two years paying all the overhead and loans for equipment it put a strain on everything.
When my dad died the same week as my son’s Bar Mitzvah AND the release of our 1st CD Anaconda Limousine in 2012 it was pivotal moment. Although my dad missed it the LA Kings won the Cup and so did my hockey team. And business turned around until 2017 when we thought we were going to open a new Veterinary Hospital in Culver City. it fell through. It was a huge setback. However, we focused completely on mobile and found a new office without the patients visiting. We are having the best year ever at this point. COVID was not a setback for our essential work. We take precautions, avoid people and help the animals.
911 VETS PriVET – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
911 VETS PriVET is a 24 hour 7 day a week routine and emergency mobile veterinary service serving Greater Los Angeles since 2005. We provide advanced pet medical services in the comfort of home. We are usually on-demand unlike other mobile services who schedule for the doctor’s convenience. Disease hath no Schedule we always say. When the pet is sick, you can’t see them a week from Tuesday. We provide full concierge transport service for any hospital services where we can provide dentistry, surger, radiology and hospitalization. There is no company like us.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am proud of every step we have taken and every milestone we’ve achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: 911vets.com
- Phone: 310-477-4140
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @911VETS
- Facebook: facebook.com/911vets
- Twitter: @911VETS
Image Credit:
Steve Weinberg
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