Fort Smith, AR — Veterinarians Trevor South and Rachel South broke ground for the new River Valley Animal Hospital and Emergency Services on Monday, March 28 at 10:00 a.m. The new animal hospital and 24-hour clinic will be located at 400 Frontier Road, Barling, Ark.
Drs. South and South will operate their day practice for both small and large animals. Their practice will focus on compassionate, progressive care with emphasis on advanced diagnostics and technology. In addition to preventative wellness visits, vaccinations and urgent care, they will offer advanced technology such as digital x-ray and ultrasonic dental equipment, with plans for eventually obtaining other advanced diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. They plan to hire at least two more veterinarians before opening the after-hours emergency services clinic.
The building exterior will complement other new developments at Chaffee Crossing with a modern ranch, rustic style. The 6,000 square-foot interior features patient care centered design elements such as separate waiting rooms for dogs and cats; individual exam rooms; a large open treatment area for multiple doctors; separate ICU, isolation for infectious patients and surgery areas; a boarding area; and a large animal facility.
The large animal area is specially designed for easy trailer access with a covered awning, a pull through drop off area for cattle and horses and a large parking lot for trucks and trailers to easily turn around. Construction of the facility is expected to take approximately eight months.
A special room is planned for terminally ill pets and owners to have a comfortable setting for their last moments together. The room will be carpeted and have a leather sofa to provide a non-clinical environment.
Dr. Trevor South has been a mixed animal veterinarian for five years, operating his own large animal service for the past two years as well as doing small animal relief for area veterinarians. He is a native of Greenwood, Ark. Dr. Rachel South has been a practicing small animal and emergency care veterinarian for the past three years. Both doctors are graduates of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts, West Indies. Trevor completed his clinical studies at Iowa State University and Rachel completed hers at Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Trevor South says building and owning his own practice is a lifelong dream. Dr. Rachel South says she has always had a passion for emergency medicine which inspired the incorporation of an emergency practice into the clinic. Trevor continued, saying that both he and his wife “hope to strengthen the relationship between day and night veterinary practice enabling us to provide comprehensive care for not only our future clients, but with hopes that other local veterinary practices will use us as an extension of their clinic hours as well. Our experiences with large and small animals and emergency medicine have helped us understand how to bring the two types of practices together under one roof and serve patients efficiently. We can’t wait to hire two or three more veterinarians to provide complete 24-hour care.”
The River Valley Animal Hospital animal hospital is the first of several groundbreakings scheduled to occur on Chaffee Crossing property inside Barling city limits in 2016. Frontier Point Shopping Center and the Prairie Apartments at Chaffee Crossing are expected to be under construction by June 1. A Mercy Clinic is also expected to begin soon on the east side of Chad Colley on the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education campus.
Bringing new businesses to Barling is something FCRA executive director Ivy Owen and staff have been working hard to make a reality. “Chaffee Crossing has become a community of “firsts” and the River Valley Veterinary Hospital & Emergency Services is just another welcome “first”. The new clinic adds another needed convenience for area residents.”
An architectural rendering of the new animal hospital and a photo of Drs. Trevor and Rachel South are included with this release.
For more information, please contact:
Trevor South, DVM, 479.462.6367, drtrevorsouth@gmail.com
Ivy Owen, FCRA executive Director, 479.452.4554, iowen@chaffeecrossing.com
Additional information about Chaffee Crossing may be found on the web:
Web – www.ChaffeeCrossing.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/chaffeecrossing
Twitter – @ChaffeeFS
