Dr. McGarry’s pre-school photo, when she already knew she wanted to be a veterinarian at the age of 4.
Shoemaker Avenue Animal Hospital owner Dr. Sara McGarry sits in her office. McGarry took over the popular vet clinic in 2013 following the retirement of Dr. Robert Bishop.
Dr. Sara McGarry, of the Shoemaker Avenue Animal Hospital, shows off a well-recovered Nova, who was recently adopted by Pittston City Police Chief Neil Murphy. Murphy announced that he plans for Nova to become a service dog for the City of Pittston, as made evident by her harness.
McGarry plays with Nova, the 8-month-old pitbull mix that she and her staff have been mending since she was discovered severely neglected and abandoned in a Pittston alley in June.
Sitting in her office with a chipper, and newly adopted, Nova at her side, Dr. Sara McGarry said somewhere in an old pre-school yearbook lays a photograph proclaiming that she’d one day become a veterinarian.
To the delight (and benefit) of animals across the community, she was right.
“From the age of 4 that’s what I wanted to be,” McGarry proclaimed, who now has worked 20 years in veterinary medicine and is being honored for Best Veterinary Practice in the Sunday Dispatch’s Best Of Greater Pittston.
McGarry purchased the Shoemaker Avenue Animal Hospital in 2013, following the retirement of Dr. Robert Bishop.
Bishop was preparing to give the hospital to his son and associate, Danie, when Danie unexpectedly passed away in 2010. McGarry went to veterinary school with Bishop’s son and the two shared mutual friends, but at the time she was busy practicing emergency animal care at a different facility.
“He was ready to sell the practice, and I was ready to make a change from emergency medicine to general practice,” she said. “Knowing his son as my classmate, I just felt like it was the right time and opted to go all-in.”
McGarry was raised in Pittston Township by her parents, Patricia and Patrick McGarry. Tearing up, she explained that her family went above and beyond to help her dream become a reality.
“I wouldn’t be here without the help of my parents. They certainty were so supportive in my decision to go to vet school,” McGarry said, explaining that they even helped her travel to and attend school abroad. “My mother was the one that said ‘you need to buy this practice, and you’re going to do great things’.”
And she has.
Previously, McGarry was voted a silver award winner for the Times Leader’s “Best Veterinarian,” calling the experience one of her most humbling.
While she credited Bishop for building a strong connection with the community, McGarry and her staff has followed in his footsteps – especially showing their community support over the summer when they learned about Nova – an eight month-old Pitbull mix who was severely neglected before being abandoned in a Pittston alley.
Local groomer Maxwell’s House Resort initially helped save the pup and handed it over to the animal hospital in an attempt to save it’s life. By the end of the month, Nova was making great strides in both her recovery and outlook, as Pittston City Police Chief Neil P. Murphy announced plans to adopt her and make Nova a therapy service dog for the community.
“(Maxwell’s House) brought her to the hospital, and we just took care of her in any way she needed. There was never a question of what needed to be done, it was just we were gunna do it,” she said. “The outcome, it makes it all worth it to see her thrive, and she’s doing so great with the Pittston City Police.”
Aside from saving animals, The Shoemaker Avenue Animal Hospital also lends a helping hand through participating in community events, fundraisers and more.
While the hospital offers an array of services to a variety of animals – including being one of the only clinics in the area that has digital dental x-rays – the goal, McGarry said, is to instill preventative medicine in pet owners.
Preventing pets from getting sick not only helps pet owners and their fur-babies, but also allows local animal hospitals to see more patients.
While cost may be a contributing factor to wanting to hold off visits, she added that not only is it usually more cost-effective, but helps your pet live longer while ensuring the best care possible.
“That’s always remained our goal here, is trying to keep pets healthy,” she added.
On the subject of cost, McGarry said investing in pet insurance pays off in the long run. It’s usually much cheaper than human health insurance and allows owners to care for their pets the way they want.
“The hardest part of veterinarian medicine is that you have to attach a cost to their pet,” she said. “If I was going to change one thing, it would be to help everyone understand that pet health insurance is a great investment into your pet.”
As Nova continued to chase around a squeaky toy, McGarry expressed her thanks to both her staff and patients for being so understanding with the changes brought on from the pandemic. She admitted that her favorite part of the job is interacting with people and pets, alike, which is what drew her into wanting a general practice.
“Most people love animals. In my opinion, a good veterinarian also loves people — because they all come in with a person,” she said. “It’s what I love — there’s nothing else I’d rather do.”
