Sullivan moving vet clinic to York

Twenty-five years after launching his own veterinary service business in Aurora, Tim Sullivan announced plans this week to move Sullivan Companion Animal Clinic to York at the end of the year.
The pending transition may or may not be permanent, Sullivan said, explaining that the reason for the move was based solely on finding a workable facility. A native of Clay Center, Sullivan launched his business on a trial run back in 1998 and, based on a solid first six months, moved into his existing facility on 1st Street, which was an extension of a new warehouse being built at that time by Schneider’s Hardware Home & Garden. As of the end of the year, that facility is no longer available.
“Over the 25 years I’ve had a very good working relationship with my landlord as far as using this facility and we’ve gotten along really well,” he said. “There just came a time after 25 years that my landlord had a different use for the property than a vet clinic and for me to move is not that big of an inconvenience. I would have preferred to stay in Aurora because this is where I got my start, but after investigating thoroughly for options in my price range and in my timeframe, York actually ended up being the place to go.”
Sullivan has already begun moving non-essential equipment and supplies to the new location at 420 North Lincoln Avenue, which is essentially part of downtown York. His plan is to complete the move around New Year’s Day, opening at the new location in 2023.
“I am just really grateful for the support that I had starting this business here,” Sullivan commented. “Initially, there were plenty of people who asked if I was sure this can go here, but with the support of the community, and then more regional support, it’s really helped out a lot. 
“It was a risk to start off with and it was worth it,” he continued. “This community supports locally. They do it with their pets and with their purchases and everything as best they can. It’s just a great place to be and I want to say that this isn’t necessarily an end-all move, either. In three years, I may be back here if a situation opens up where something else can happen, but I’m just speculating.”
Sullivan and his wife Karen, who works in Hastings, will continue to live in Aurora, commuting each day to work.

25-year history
Looking back over a quarter century of business, Sullivan said he is pleased with the way his practice has grown. He initially spent time here during one of three internships after graduating from veterinary school, eventually taking a full-time job with the Aurora Veterinary Clinic. There he gained experience with large and small animals though he realized over time that his forte was in working with and caring for smaller animals.
“The thing I enjoyed the most was small animal surgery,” he recalled. “After eight years or so I went out on my own in a garage down by the railroad tracks and made that into a clinic to see if this was going to work. The response was encouraging, so as Schneider’s built the warehouse we put an extra 50 feet on the front of this warehouse and then I designed the inside as a vet clinic and moved the practice here.”
Much has changed in the way he treats animals since that time, particularly in the area of surgery.
“I went from using IV anesthesia exclusively to using a gas anesthesia technique for sedation, which is a little safer, has more consistent results and better recovery time,” he said. “I also added laser surgery shortly after starting because I wanted to do cat de-claws as painlessly as possible.”
That decision, in particular, proved to be a good one over time.
“I wasn’t comfortable with the way I was doing it at the time so I did some schooling and invested in laser,” he said, describing a procedure in which he blocks animal pain four different ways to reduce pain and speed up post-op recovery. “I won’t de-claw any other way. In fact, I’ve had people come in from Colorado, South Dakota, western Nebraska or wherever because of word of mouth, mainly through family or whatever, just to de-claw their cat. It makes that much of a difference in the type of recovery a cat has and the owner knows that.”
Sullivan’s regional clientele has continued to grow over the years, which he said makes the pending transition less of a factor.
“It’s been regional pretty much right from the start,” he said. “The Grand Island contingent that comes over continues to grow and then I probably have as many York people that come over here as Aurora people that come. I also have a handful of pretty consistent people who come from Lincoln, Omaha and Norfolk so it’s just hard to put a pattern to it, though most of it is word of mouth.”
Treating dogs and cats represents the bulk of his business, though the company name reflects a broader range of clientele. He also works with hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, parrots, as well as snakes and reptiles.
“With the exotics I have a very distinct line in the sand and I let the owner know it,” he explained. “And when we get to that line I tell them this is a point where I’m not comfortable treating, doing surgery or whatever with their pet, and then I refer.”
The Aurora location also offers kenneling services, though Sullivan said he plans to reduce that aspect of the business with the pending move to York. 
“The thing that means the most to me is that people trust me with their pets,” he concluded. “That when I take them to the back room for surgery that they’ll be able to pick up their pet at the end of the day in better condition. Or, when we get to end-of-life situations, I can tell you I have received more thank you cards than any other kind of card or notice after euthanasia procedures than I do at any other time. People value that their animal is treated humanely and has a peaceful way to go at the end, so when they trust me with that I take it very seriously.”
In addition to running his business, Sullivan has been active in the community, serving on the city’s board of adjustment, TeamMates and as a member of the Aurora Optimist Club. He said he believes in giving back to the community and hopes to remain involved, though he may be less available since he’ll be working in York.