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Spreading Its Wings

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By KENNETH KNIGHT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

TEMPLE CREST - From its perch along busy Busch Boulevard, Temple Terrace Animal & Bird Hospital is as cozy and cuddly as the pets cared for, boarded and groomed there.

Just beyond its small lobby is a trio of snug examination rooms and a surgical unit. A few feet away, well-mannered dogs wiggle their tails from individual cages in a slightly larger boarding room.

"It's a little challenging," said veterinarian Link Welborn. "We have three exam rooms. When it's busy, it can be a bottleneck."

A couple of years ago, Welborn and his business partner, veterinarian Timothy Lassett, came up with a whale of an idea: Blow out the walls and expand the building.

The contractor, Hammer & Howell Builders, has yet to blow out the walls. However, in three months, its crew has built a concrete shell that will more than double the size of the animal hospital at 5023 E. Busch Blvd.

The expansion of the 3,500-square-foot animal hospital is needed to care for animals and their owners in the best way possible, Welborn said.

"It's an older facility," Welborn said of the pet hospital that originally opened in 1959. Welborn bought the practice in 1991.

"We practice a high level of medicine," Welborn added.

When completed in July, the hospital will provide state-of-the-art veterinary care in about 7,000 square feet of space. The building will house four examination rooms. The bird and exotic animal exam area will get a facelift but remain where it is. Two existing exam rooms will be merged to create a larger treatment area.
Welborn said he anticipates adding to his 15-member staff to accommodate more animals and their owners.

The hospital employs four veterinarians, including Welborn, to provide professional care to an assortment of dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and more exotic animals.
Welborn and veterinarian Paul Langston are board-certified to provide specialized care to dogs and cats. Veterinarian Megan O'Connor is a general practitioner who is certified to treat a variety of animals. Veterinarian Peter Helmer is board-certified to care for birds, reptiles and exotic animals.

The pet hospital is an accredited member of the American Animal Hospital Association. The international organization, made up of more than 32,000 veterinary care providers who treat companion animals, named Welborn its 2007 Practitioner of the Year.

On an average day, it's not unusual for 40 to 60 pets to stroll through the door, certified veterinary technician Kristi Stinson said.

"We want to make them better," Stinson said.

Co-worker Elisa Bubley chimed in: "We love animals. We spend more time here than we do with our own families."

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842 or at kknight@tampatrib.com.

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