There are a lot of fields that are dominated by women, particularly in medicine and retail shops, but even most of those are either owned or managed by men. Marion Pet Care is the rare exception with an entirely female staff that is led by owner and operator Dr. Rachel Forbes.
The veterinary office has a warm, welcoming atmosphere that begins and ends with its terrific staff.
“A whole staff of women is a different dynamic than a mixed occupation,” Forbes said. “We have a sisterhood. It’s more of a friendship-type thing, and we are bonded a little bit different. … The ladies tend to have closer bonds when it comes to work because we all become friends and rely on each other.”
A lot of children grow up wanting policemen, firefighters, doctors or veterinarians, and almost all of them grow out of it at some point, especially when considering the amount of education involved. But Forbes didn’t. Her love for animals was far too strong, and she knew from a very young age that it was her calling to be a healer of our furry family members.
“(My calling) is to help those who don’t have a voice and to be an advocate for patients who can’t speak for themselves,” she said.
For Forbes, the most rewarding aspect of her job is being able to help a beloved family member, and she treats each of her patients as if they were own because she knows what she would feel like if her own dog was sick.
“Seeing a good outcome and the appreciation of the owners is extremely rewarding. It’s not just the animal, it’s also the human aspect of it. We’re helping families because pets are a part of the family,” she said. “It’s not just a dog in the yard; people love their pets like they love their kids.”
Forbes’ practice, Marion Pet Care, is the former Watts Animal Clinic, and she actually cut her teeth working alongside Dr. Tom Watts as a technician while she was in vet school. He had always told her that when he was nearing retirement she would be given the first opportunity to purchase the practice. It took a decade following Forbes’ graduation for him to reach retirement age, but when the time came, she was able to step in to continue Watts’ legacy and establish Marion Pet Care.
Although Forbes actually lives in the Dexter community of Walthall County, both she and her husband have always worked in Marion County and have strong ties throughout the community.
It wasn’t actually intentional for Marion Pet Care’s staff to be all women. Forbes said most vet technicians and office staff in veterinary practices are women, but for a long time most vets were men because they were more equipped to handle cattle and livestock. Over time, caring for larger animals became more specialized, and a shift to more female animal doctors began.
“It’s like in human medicine; a lot of nursing is women dominated. Your veterinary technicians and assistants are women dominated. There are men interested in the field, but if they are, they are usually interested in large animals,” Forbes said. “Our women do a fantastic job handling anything that comes through the door. It wasn’t intentional, but it’s probably not uncommon now to have mostly women work in smaller animal practices.”
No business can be run effectively without an excellent support staff, and Marion Pet Care is no different. Forbes said she could not do anything without her staff, and her employees do all the same things that take place in human hospitals.
“Our veterinary technicians and the girls who work here are just like human nurses. When you go to the doctor and the nurses get your blood pressure, take your vitals and ask you questions, they do the exact same thing,” she explained. “Technical wise, for surgery and for treatments, they’re getting IV catheters, getting fluids and getting prepped for surgical scrub nurses, it’s the exact same thing in human medicine as it is in animal medicine. We do the exact same things, but it’s just on four-legged patients instead of two-legged.
“Our girls are our own X-ray techs and our own phlebotomists. They are their own account managers and customer relations. All those specific studies in human medicine where there are people who just draw blood for a living, that’s what (our) ladies do, but they do all of it. I could not do what I do without them. They are the foundation here and are extremely invaluable to me.”
Marion Pet Care’s staff consists of Whitney Givens, Hunter Abney, Holly Steede, Kaylee Baughman, Desi Crain and Amy Harrell.
Forbes primarily treats dogs and cats, but she also treats the occasional pocket pet, such as hamsters, birds and even some reptiles.
Forbes said Marion Pet Care has not been subjected to any misogyny or had anyone make any off-handed remarks about the entire staff being women.
“All of the clients that we have here, thankfully, have been fantastic,” she said. “I try to, professionally and medically speaking, practice good medicine and not give off any type of reason that would make someone want to act that way.”
As a business owner, Forbes’ primary goal has always been to practice medicine the way she wants to practice medicine, and that is to deliver the most high-quality care possible. With that in mind, she made it a priority to purchase quality technology, such as advanced anesthetic monitoring and the clinic’s ultrasound machine, which has already saved many lives.
Marion Pet Care is located at 2132 Mississippi 13 N. and can be reached at (601) 731-1232.
