PHOTO: Dr. Douglas Schmidt shows some of the children attending our PVH kids club how to ride a stick horse!
Dr Douglas R Schmidt is the owner and chief of staff of Patton Veterinary Hospital. Born in Cincinnati OH, Dr Doug is a proud Buckeye who has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1989. His greatest strengths have always been faith in God, love of family and passion for his work, along with a lifetime of respect for what he often refers to as “all creatures great and small”.
Growing up in Mt Washington, a suburb of Cincinnati, Douglas Schmidt was one of seven children born to Donald and Audrey Schmidt. His mother worked as a secretary and also served as recreation director for a local nursing home for over 25 years. His father worked long hours as a salesman for a large paper company which supplied paper goods for cafeterias and restaurants.
Early in his life, young Douglas adopted not only the strong work ethic of his family, but also a deep and abiding love for animals. He had many pets during his childhood and did everything he could to treat them if they were ill or injured.
“I was always trying to patch animals up,” he remembers. “I had pet birds, frogs, you name it. I even had a little pet cemetery in the backyard. I never had any ambitions to do anything else but to be a veterinarian.”
During that period of his life, Dr Doug’s older sister was married to a veterinarian. He was able to make frequent visits to his brother in law’s practice and have an insider’s view of the pet health care field. By the time he graduated from McNicholas High School, he had a clear vision about his future and a plan to achieve it.
Knowing that a background in biology would give him a strong foothold into veterinary medicine, Dr Doug enrolled at The Ohio State University in the late 70’s. In fact he is proud to say that he was fortunate to graduate from The Ohio State not once, but twice. After earning a BS degree in microbiology in 1978, he enrolled in their veterinary college but was not accepted.
“In those days there weren’t as many vet schools as there are today, and thus they were very tough to get into,” he says. “This is why I warn young students to always have two careers in mind—you have to have an alternate to fall back on.”
In an effort to improve his chances, Dr Doug returned to school and completed a year of agricultural studies. He took a position as a livestock nutritionist with a large feed company and went out to local farms to introduce feeds and sell them directly to the farmers. His boss was a gentleman named Gary Palmer who introduced Dr Doug to a philosophy which also greatly influenced his life . . . G F W—God, Family, Work.
The principle advised the order in which a person should arrange his priorities: placing God first, family second and work third. It was a design that appealed to Dr Doug and he readily adopted it to his own life. He continued to work for Mr Palmer for the next six years, and the income would help to support him as he entered the most important stage of his life, becoming a husband and father.
In 1979 Doug Schmidt married Peggy, his college sweetheart and fellow student at The Ohio State University. While pursuing her own degree, Peggy actually lived in the apartment upstairs from Dr Doug although it would take three years for them to actually meet! A native of Hanover PA, Peggy shared his love of family and pets and was eager to help him achieve his dream.
Now armed with his job experience working with large animals, in 1985 he applied again and was accepted into The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He would spend the next four years as a full time student, as well as a full time husband and dad. He recalls many nights where the school books waited until after his kids fell asleep.
Dr Schmidt graduated for the second time from The Ohio State in 1989, earning his doctorate in veterinary medicine. Now a father of three young boys, he hit the pavements of Ohio and Pennsylvania looking for a position. Since his wife Peggy still had friends in Hanover, he included York County in his search. Armed with the yellow pages and a road map, Dr Doug arrived in Red Lion for a very fateful meeting with Dr Don Patton.
“It was all about the timing,” Dr Schmidt recalls. “At that exact moment Dr Patton just happened to be looking for a partner.”
The two doctors hit it off immediately and recognized in each other the same strong work ethic, faith in God and a shared passion for helping animals. They formed an effective team, and with Dr Patton keeping an eye on his eventual retirement, he sold the practice to Dr Schmidt in 1993.
“From that first meeting we just knew what was going to happen,” says Dr Doug of their partnership. “He was the best mentor I could have ever hoped for—I never wanted to let him down.”
Taking up the reins from Dr Patton, Dr Doug continued to operate the practice as a progressive, well-run hospital with excellent standards of care. He also kept his promise to maintain an active community outreach program, with involvement in local fundraisers and events. In doing so, he credits another mentor from early in his education.
“A veterinarian named Dr Vinski once spoke to a group of us and he said ‘Remember when you get out into the real world to give back to the community’. I never forgot that. When you’re in a position to help, that’s what you do.”
Dr Doug is especially pleased with the solid, open relationship that PVH has built with local schools. The doctors and staff make regular appearances at career days, offer shadow student opportunities and internships. Dr Doug is proud to say that five of his past students/interns have gone on to earn their own DVM’s.
As the Patton Veterinary Hospital continued to expand under Dr Doug’s leadership, the staff broke ground on a new and larger building which held its official grand opening in May 2003. By that time, Peggy Schmidt had become an active member of the team and her decorating skills played a major role in the look and feel of the new hospital. It was Peggy who chose the furnishings, the fireplace in the lobby, artwork for the walls, and color scheme. Today, she remains very active in the business, serving as treasurer and also assisting with office and administrative duties.
Having become a mentor in his own right, Dr Schmidt was rewarded in the fact that all five of his children—Kevin, Brian, Eric, Luke and Laura—shared his love of animals. In fact, each of the kids has been employed at the hospital at various times over the years. It came as no surprise to Dr Doug when one of them announced plans to attend veterinary school.
“Kevin was always the first to volunteer when I needed help at the office,” recalls Dr Schmidt. “He would come over all the time and help me with emergencies or assist in surgery. All my kids love animals, but Kevin is very science oriented. With the compassion he has for animals, he wanted to learn the science behind what I did and how everything worked.”
Dr Kevin Schmidt officially joined the practice in 2010, and early the following year his then-fiancé Dr Kathleen Spencer also came on board. Dr Doug was delighted to have them join the practice, and the family celebrated together when the couple married in 2011. In January 2015, another generation of Schmidts made his first entrance into the world when Spencer Maverick was born to Kevin and Kathleen.
“I finally got a grandson!” beams Dr Doug, who reports he is eager to build a swing set, host camping trips, and offer lessons in fishing and motorcycles. He also looks forward to “being back on the sidelines and in the bleachers” to attend any activity or sporting event where Spencer participates.
But family and friends of Dr Schmidt will attest that the good doctor is more than a mere spectator. Several times a year, and in a number of US states, he takes part in the Tough Mudder runs which have been gaining popularity. The grueling obstacle course may include any number of boot camp-style challenges, not the least of which involves crawling through mud tunnels, navigating pools of ice water, and even electrocution!
Dr Doug faces each one with great daring and reports that there are no prizes or trophies, just personal growth. The difficult courses inspire total strangers to work as a team, and keep him in healthy shape and eating right.
“That’s my escape,” he says. “When I’m out on the course, it’s just me and God—it’s my release.”
Keeping close to his roots at The Ohio State University, he also stays active in the alumni association and avidly follows their football and basketball teams. As for his work at PVH, Dr Doug remains true to his mission and keeps a close eye on the future of veterinary medicine. Much more than a general practitioner, he watches for changes in the industry and examines new treatments, equipment and diagnostics.
“We try to offer people the most current therapy and treatments,” he pledges. “I am one of the few old cowboys around, but I continue to stay progressive in veterinary medicine.”
Over the past several years, PVH has added exciting services like ultrasound imaging, laser therapy, digital x-rays and a special wing dedicated exclusively to cats. But through it all, Dr Douglas Schmidt is at heart a humble man. He prefers to assign all the credit to the dedicated people who work for him, every one of whom he considers family.
“I’m fortunate enough to have this supportive staff who will take projects and ideas and just run with them,” says Dr Doug. “That’s my secret—I surround myself with people who are better and smarter than me. But most of all I do put God first in my life because that’s where my strength really comes from. My wife Peggy runs a close second—without her, I would be lost.”