Noah’s Animal Hospitals – Spanning Four Decades

Some of our younger clients, and even a majority of our employees may find this hard to believe, but Noah’s Animal Hospitals has seen a lot of interesting changes in our world over the years.  When we first started with our flagship hospital in 1982, parachute pants, mullets and getting “Physical” with Olivia Newton John were the rage. 

 In the intervening 30 years, we have seen changes in technology, like the growth of the Internet and popularity of the mobile phone, changes in the world, like the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union and we have seen our share of horrific events, from the 9/11 bombings to space shuttle disasters.  We have also experienced shifts in popular dog breeds, changing vaccine protocols and a whole gamut of new products and diets designed to help our pets live longer, more comfortable lives. .

Heck…even our communications with our clients have changed…we now text people about their appointments or email reminders about medical care instead of sending post cards!  Instead of finding us in the phone book, clients can look us up on the Web or on Facebook!

Through it all, one thing has remained constant…our strong desire to provide the highest quality care for your four legged family members.  Our tools and technology may transform, but our passion for you and your pets remains unwavering.

I graduated from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine with honors in 1968.  Like most veterinarians, I was eager to get out and learn all I could from the leaders of that time.  After an internship in Chicago, I spent time working in North Carolina and owned my own practice in Miami for 13 years. That was a very exciting time for me as I spent time healing dogs and cats, but also got to treat exotic animals, like monkeys and large macaws.

Glass Emerson Way - built 1970

Getting back to my home state of Indiana was important and when I saw the opportunity to purchase Glass Animal Hospital near 56^th Street and Emerson in Indianapolis, I knew the time was right.  From the moment we took over and renamed it “Noah’s”, this hospital has been state of the art and the centerpiece in our group of veterinary clinics.  The building is beautiful, highly functional, and serves as the hub for all of our businesses.

As an added bonus, the energetic, smart high school student who was helping in the kennel at that time has remained with us today…you may know her now  as Dr. Mary Grabow, the hospital director at our Noah’s Caring Hands Animal Hospital.

Dr. Mary Grabow

My vision has always been to provide the best care and value for pet owners and it was just a logical extension of that vision to expand Noah’s to Speedway in 1987.  From there, it’s been a thrilling journey as we have reached out to help pets and their people all across Central Indiana.  Our hospitals now include four in Indianapolis,  2 in Greenfield and our newest location that just opened this fall, in Carmel  Along the way we have met some great friends and incorporated some fantastic ideas, all in the goal of making sure that your pets have everything that they might need when it comes to healthcare.

I am very proud of our accomplishments and achievements during these past 30 years.  Perhaps the most apparent of these has been the development and growth of our 24 hour Emergency and Critical Care facility at the 56^th Street location.  We saw the need for a full-time animal emergency hospital on this side of Indianapolis and we have been greatly encouraged by the positive response we have had from the community over the past twelve years.  Our recent remodel and expansion at this facility is further proof that our services are needed in this area.

Remodel in progress

But, we have grown in other ways too…we offer affordable plans to help people with their pet’s care at many of our locations.  This has helped pet owners understand that veterinary medicine and their pets’ care is not always a “one size fits all” solution.  We work with our clients to help them not only understand their pets’ needs, but also how we can help them meet those needs.

We have seen our staff grow from 1 full time and three part time in 1982 to more than 120 today.  From graduate veterinarians to registered technicians, highly trained assistants and friendly front office staff, we all believe that our purpose is to help you take care of your best friend.  We pride ourselves on the training and education we provide for these team members.  We encourage them always to consider furthering their own development by attending lectures, seminars or even returning to school to become a Registered Veterinary Technician, Certified Practice Manager or a specialist in any of the many aspects of veterinary medicine.

Dr. Mike Thomas, Jessie (Dr. T's Border Collie) and Santa

As I stay involved with many different national veterinary associations, like the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterinary Information Network and National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, I have the opportunity to learn how to make caring for your pets a little easier.  All of us at Noah’s see our role not only being “the best friend of your best friend”, but also a trusted resource for you and any questions that you might have.

I am honored to be part of the Central Indiana community and part of the veterinary profession.  But above all, I treasure the wonderful clients and pets that I have met over these past 30 years and look forward to helping many, many more.  Thanks to everyone who has helped us build Noah’s into an amazing, caring place for your pets.

Dr. Mike Thomas