Raised on a racehorse farm, Dr. Jessica Quillivan said she knew at the age of 11 she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up. “It’s just something you have to have a passion for,” Quillivan said. “It’s fun, but it’s definitely difficult helping people through those traumatic times and tough decisions. I don’t usually get sad for a pet because if we’re euthanizing it I know we’re helping it, but I’ll cry right along with the owner. It’s tough.” After graduating from veterinarian school in 1999, Quillivan opened Shady Brook Animal Hospital on Nichols Sawmill Road in Magnolia in spring 2004. She operated the daytime pet clinic by herself for several years before hiring two associates. Last November, Quillivan opened Emergency Pet Care of Texas on FM 1488 with veterinarians Drs. Jon Johnson and Kevin Schneider of Oak Ridge Animal Clinic after seeing a void in the Magnolia area for an after-hours pet facility. The clinic is open during early mornings, nights, weekends and holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, to provide emergency care for dogs and cats. “I would say probably 70 to 80 percent of what we see here are things you might see during the day at a practice,” she said. “We only see sick pets, and we don’t do any wellness or prevention. This is basically your urgent care or emergency care. If you would take your dog [to the vet] on a Monday during the day for vomiting, but of course it starts vomiting at 8 p.m. and your vet’s not open—that’s what we see.” The office tends to see a steady stream of clients on weekends and weeknights when daytime veterinarians close their doors, Quillivan said. From emergency surgeries to life-threatening illnesses, the facility typically charges 30 percent more for procedures than a regular daytime clinic, she said. “We see a lot of dogs that eat things they shouldn’t, and they are not too sick yet. But if we do the surgery, we can fix them,” she said. “It’s always fun and interesting to remove material from a stomach. I’ve removed a peach pit from a dog and a teddy bear arm. With medical illnesses, I know how to treat it, but I can’t always guarantee the pets are going to get better. I like to be able to tell people I can fix it.” The clinic, which has a staff of 17 employees, hires a number of licensed veterinarian technician students who attend local schools, including Lone Star College-Tomball, Quillivan said. As business grows, Quillivan continues to split her time between her two Magnolia clinics. She said she hopes to have two doctors working at all times and hire additional technicians at the facility in the future. “We have lots of room for patients to be here,” Quillivan said. “Being a brand-new business, it’s pretty big. We wanted to have to not keep expanding the facility, but we can definitely add staff to fill it up.” Emergency Pet Care of Texas 7850 FM 1488, Magnolia 832-521-8521 www.emergencypetcareoftexas.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 6 p.m.-8 a.m., Fri.-Mon. 6 p.m.-8 a.m., open on all holidays