As the old dog wobbled out of the examination room, Dr. Tim Dabkowski followed, saying soothingly, "We can take care of him… let's think about what we want to do, and we'll keep him as comfortable as possible."

The handsome young vet with beautiful pale blue eyes exuded kindness and empathy for both the animal and the owner, and conveyed clearly that he would do whatever was decided with the care Middleburg Animal Hospital was known for when Love/McKim set standards for animal care in The Piedmont.

Although Tim did not originally decide to pursue a veterinary degree, his sister encouraged him to "follow his passion" when she was very ill with cancer. Her encouragement gave him the boost he needed to leave Dun & Bradstreet where he was a successful consultant and do what he'd always wanted to do: provide professional care for animals in need.

The youngest of seven children, Tim took his sister's advice quickly and literally.

"Life's too short," she emphasized. "You need to do something you love."

Two months later, Tim resigned from D&B and finished his science courses while he worked part time for a vet. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech Veterinary School.

Now the owner of a successful veterinary practice in Rehoboth, DE, that is growing rapidly and requires a new building that is under construction, Tim decided to talk to his bankers about opening a second practice as he was returning from a conference.

"My business degree and my D&B experience have been extremely valuable as I've established and enlarged my veterinary career," he explained. "I know and understand the financial vocabulary, and my bankers know I know how to create and build a successful business."

When he found that Middleburg Animal Hospital in Middleburg was for sale, he immediately investigated its history and reputation closely.

"This was a practice that was dearly loved and admired by the community," he said "Clearly it needed to be reinvigorated and brought up to present-day standards, but, basically, the customer and employee loyalty was still there, we simply needed to prove that my commitment and dedication were as serious and strong as theirs."

One only need walk into the reception room at Middleburg Animal Hospital today to realize that the dedication and commitment Tim talked about are very clearly in place and that he loves the Middleburg community.

Is it easy running two clinics at the same time? No, not really, but it is more than worth it, according the intense and focused vet.

"We've purchased a little house on Rt. 50 and we spend more than half of every week here," he explained. "I found the Love's expansion plans when I was cleaning shelves the other day… they're wonderful, and I hope to turn them into reality someday."

Cleaning and refurbishing have been at the forefront of Tim's mind since he closed on the practice.

"All our machines need to be replaced," he noted.

"But I view this as a turnaround venture that, not so long ago, enjoyed a fantastic reputation. My goal is to create a thriving business here again…. A business that puts customers and their animals first.

"I am a reasonable man," Tim emphasizes. "I take my responsibility for the quality of life for animals under my care very seriously… I want my clients to have the information they need to make the right decisions for their animals, and my standards of care are very high. I know it will take a while to build community confidence again, but I'm confident that will come as people get to know me. Everyone here has been so welcoming and helpful.

"I'm extremely pleased to be able to serve this community."

To schedule appointments with Dr. Dabkowski, please telephone 540 687 6144. Appointments may be scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday with appointments available until 8 p.m. on Mondays.