Long Beach Vet: Caring for Pets
Growing up in Barrie, Ontario, Becky Craig was an outdoor enthusiast, addicted to the ski hills of Blue Mountain and the warm waters at Wasaga Beach.
Hiking the many trails in Simcoe County, Craig connected with nature and the wildlife, and imagined a career working outdoors and studying animals. “I loved being out in the fresh air and had always dreamed of working with animals,” says Craig.
Following her heart, Craig moved to Nova Scotia, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Biology at Dalhousie University. While there, she volunteered at several veterinary hospitals, seeing both large and small animals; at a wildlife sanctuary, working with injured and abandoned patients; and at the psychology department at Dalhousie, caring for large birds. It soon became apparent that her true passion was not only working with animals but also managing medical cases and interacting with pet owners.
Continuing on her educational path, Craig graduated from a four-year program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in Guelph, becoming a registered veterinarian with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO). After university, she worked long hours for several years at both a family and an emergency veterinary hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. Eventually, Craig returned home, wanting to be part of a smaller community and took a position at a Collingwood clinic.
“Initially, I didn’t want to start my own practice because I was focused on providing quality care, and not wanting to run a business,” says Craig. But after several years and some serious introspection, she decided that having her own clinic was the next step in her journey. “I plan to work in this industry for my lifetime, and opening a clinic was the next step to enable me to continue to share my personal values, mission and approach to animal care,” states Craig.
“We want our clinic to be a positive environment for staff, clients and patients alike,” she exclaims. “I’m committed to my work and felt it was time to share my personal values, mission and approach to animal care, so that every pet owner feels heard and understood.”
Get in touch
- 22 Market St. Collingwood
- 705-445-8410
- info@cfsouthgeorgianbay.ca
- cfsouthgeorgianbay.ca
Opening the doors in May 2023, the Long Beach Veterinary Hospital is located at 2107 Mosley Street in Wasaga Beach. Craig and her dedicated 15 full- and part-time staff offer preventive care, emergency medicine, lab services, dentistry, geriatric and pain management and more. We have clients from Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Stayner, Elmvale and the surrounding areas,” says Craig. “With plenty of word-of-mouth referrals, the clinic has grown!”
Forging Ahead with a Dream
Like anything else in life, challenges build skills and character. Opening a clinic was a new challenge. Craig had plenty of experience as a veterinarian, but not in opening up a functioning hospital.
“Someone suggested that I should contact Community Futures South Georgian Bay (CFSGB) to explore my idea and get some answers as to what it takes to open a business,” Craig explains. “The experts at the Community Futures were very helpful and answered tons of questions.” They even guided her through the steps of writing a business plan.
“Initially, it was difficult to find a location for the clinic,” states Craig. “I didn’t want to construct a new building, but there was nothing appropriate to renovate or purchase. Once we decided to go ahead with construction, it was exciting to design a facility that would house a warm, efficient hospital to provide quality care.
Although stressful,” says Craig, “it honestly was great to be building a beautiful facility that would add to the Wasaga community.”
“Friends and family were supportive,” she continues, “but I didn’t want to go to them and ask for money. The bank loan was not sufficient to finish off a large project like this. I approached CFSGB again, applying for a loan to complete the building and open the clinic.”
CFSGB’s expert advisers help business owners launch and grow their businesses, creating local jobs and nurturing a thriving business community. They provide entrepreneurs with a range of free business services, including business planning, one-on-one counselling, workshops, training, loans, mentoring, and referrals to other resources.
“If not for CFSGB, either I had to give up entirely or risk my dream with a high-interest loan,” Craig shares. “I was tapped, tapped, tapped! I submitted the loan application, was approved and completed the building.”
Love for This Community
Craig is committed to the local community. “We hold an open house during the summer solstice as a client appreciation day. The public can tour the facilities, meet the staff, and speak with veterinary specialists.”
“We also work with a lot of rescues and collaborate with the Humane Society. This year, we’ve sponsored a local Wasaga hockey team,” says Craig.
A Vision for the Future
“Our motto is essentially to provide ‘excellence in pet care’ with attention and compassion for each client’s situation. We are fortunate to have such hard-working, skilled, and caring staff,” says Craig. “Our clients remind us how lucky we are to have them!”
Craig has plans for the next chapter of her entrepreneurial journey, including purchasing new equipment such as a Cytology microscope to examine cells and a specialty laser for therapeutic care. And of course, there’s always continuing education to stay current with the latest in animal care.
“We really couldn’t have gotten our doors open without CFSGB,” declares Craig. “They were there for us right when we needed that last push! Simcoe County is lucky to have such an amazing resource, and I highly recommend anyone thinking of starting a business to reach out to them.”
