Doctor Bill Donohue, an associate veterinarian for Vale Park Animal Hospital, grew up in Crown Point, Indiana. He studied biology at Purdue University Calumet where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2001. He then continued his education in a master’s program for one year at Purdue University Calumet before he went on to Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 and graduated with his doctoral degree in 2006.
That is a lot of school for someone who did not always know he wanted to become a veterinarian. In fact, Donohue did not make that decision until he was in high school.
“I happened to need a job and fell into the position of working in the kennel at an animal clinic in Crown Point. Somehow things just developed,” Donohue said. “The bond between the owners and the pets with helping save dogs and just seeing the heart warmth when families came to pick up their pets... I just kind of fell in love with it.”
Donohue continued to work at the animal clinic and had the opportunity to grow within the clinic throughout the years he was there.
“I worked my way from kennels to assistant to technician skills to veterinary school. I basically started from the ground up at the age of 16,” he said.
Then, he started working for Vale Park while he was still in veterinary school.
“I started working at VPAH during my senior year of school. I did a six-week externship in August and September of 2005,” he said. “And when I graduated veterinary school in May of 2006, I started working as a veterinarian just after graduation on the 30th of May in 2006, which will be 11 years now at the end of this upcoming May.”
Day-to-day duties for Dr. Donohue include exam room visits on dogs and cats.
“I am basically one of the exam room veterinarians, but I am not a surgeon. I will see general day-to-day wellness and health checks,” he said. “I will diagnose dermatology or skin issues, and occasionally work with oncology patients to medically manage them.”
Dr. Donohue’s favorite part about working as a veterinarian for VPAH is the bond that is developed between the patients and clients.
“I like having the ability to keep the pets healthy and have the owners happy. I want to make sure that the owners know that their pet is being well taken care of and that we are doing the best for their pet,” he said. “The biggest thing that I enjoy is making sure the owners realize that taking their pet to the vet is not a chore. I want it to be fun… I want it to be something that they look forward to. You build relationships with the clients, and over time, taking your pet to the vet should not feel like a chore, but instead like you are going to see an old friend.”
Dr. Donohue works full days on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with a half day on Friday. Weekends vary between working one or two times a month depending on how he and his six other colleagues schedule it out.
“We all kind of rotate weekends depending on vacation schedules, continuing education, and family life,” he said.
Dr. Donohue currently lives in Valparaiso with his wife, three young children, and three cats.
“I am waiting for the younger children to get out of diapers before we get a dog, with my wife’s permission that is,” Donohue said chuckling.
He enjoys living in Northwest Indiana because of the diversity and easy access to both big city life, small city life, and the great outdoors.
“Living in Northwest Indiana, we have the ability to go to Chicago for healthcare, shopping, dining, and sports… but we are also close enough to Michigan to enjoy the outdoors, lakeshore, and hiking,” he said. “We are also close enough to Indianapolis where we can go to a small city atmosphere and enjoy the adventures with that.”
In his free time, Donohue enjoys hiking with his kids, traveling, watching NFL football, and participating in fantasy football.
Next time you’re at Vale Park Animal Hospital with your pet, say hi to Dr. Bill! For more information on the hospital, click here.