For decades, Valparaiso has thrived due to the passion and commitment of its family business owners. Because of that, there’s truly nothing better than to see those family-owned businesses reach remarkable milestones. On Saturday, July 15 McAfee Animal Hospital celebrated its 80th anniversary with a touching celebration that left everyone excited for the future.
McAfee Animal Hospital was started by John “Boppy” McAfee in 1943 when he saw a need for a large animal doctor to take care of the community’s farm animals. Since then, the animal hospital has grown and changed exceptionally. McAfee welcomed two more generations of McAfees: Dr. Larry McAfee, who joined in 1975, and Dr. Brooke McAfee, who joined in 2011. The animal hospital also welcomed Dr. Steve Violanti who joined in 1990.
McAfee Animal Hospital also evolved over time to treat more family pets rather than large animals. Over the years, the pet owners who came to McAfee Animal Hospital became more like family than clients. That’s exactly why the McAfee team knew it was vital to include the community in its 80th-anniversary festivities.
“It was important to us to let our clients celebrate this huge milestone with us. I hope everyone today just soaks in the family atmosphere and sees how close-knit we all are. We have a great staff and a great community. All of our clients are wonderful. We really just want to keep that family feeling going,” said Brooke McAfee.
At the event, clients and their beloved pets had the opportunity to bond with the McAfee staff on an even deeper level. All day long dogs launched themselves eagerly at the staff, and each pet’s respective doctor and nurses accepted their slobbery kisses with bright smiles and open arms.
“This means everything to me. Everything. I’m so incredibly proud of my daughter, Brooke, and Steve who has been the best partner I could ever ask for. This is just a joyful day,” said Dr. Larry McAfee.
Along with getting to hang out and bond with McAfee’s friendly team, community members had a great time partaking in all kinds of activities. A member of Humane Indiana taught people more about preserving wildlife, and even brought a falcon for attendees to look at. The Valparaiso K-9 Unit gave a police dog demonstration that left everybody gasping and cheering.
A bouncy house was set up for the kids to burn off some energy, and attendees enjoyed watching a talented pup work his way through an agility course. Not to be forgotten was all the delicious food. When guests needed a break from all the excitement, they snacked on a plethora of pizza, cupcakes, and ice cream. McAfee definitely didn’t skimp on the fun.
“80 years doesn’t come around very often,” laughed Violanti.
Ultimately, McAfee Animal Hospital’s 80th anniversary couldn’t have been more successful. The day celebrated not only a successful past, but what is sure to be an even more successful future.
“We look forward to the future--hopefully, we’ll make it to our 100th-year celebration. It is my goal to keep McAfee Animal Hospital family-owned forever. I never want to make it a corporation. I want to keep it small enough so that it remains family-owned with a family atmosphere. I love being so close to our community members and seeing them every day,” said Brooke McAfee.
The McAfee team gave a huge thanks to everyone who helped them make the event possible. The team feels they wouldn’t have been able to get where they are today without the community’s endless support over the years.
“We are so appreciative to have been a part of the community for 80 years. It’s really neat how many local businesses in Valpo remain family-run and have been open for over 80 years. All of the support we have received from the community has made this possible,” said Brooke McAfee.
It’s clear, though, that McAfee has been just as integral to the growth and success of the community. So many people in the community are thankful to McAfee for its support and friendship and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
“The team at McAfee saw the potential in celebrating good news in our community when GreatNews.Life launched 14 years ago, and they’ve been a close partner of ours ever since. We could not be more proud to be helping tell the story of their 80th year serving the Region,” said Chris Mahlmann, founder of GreatNews.Life.
To learn more about McAfee Animal Hospital and its commitment to our community, visit https://mcafeeah.com/.