Business : Vinton-Urbana Veterinary Hospital brings ISU grad home; open House April 10

Dr. Alice Timmerman, DVM, is pictured here in the OR of Vinton-Urbana Veterinary Hospital.

Alice Timmerman graduated from the Iowa State University College Veterinarian Medicine, and then went on to practice in the Detroit, Seattle and Witchita, Kan. areas.

Now Timmerman has returned to Iowa to open her practice in the brand new Vinton-Urbana Veterinary Hospital along Highway 150 north of Vinton.

"I just followed my husband, Michael Myers, in his jobs, from Boeing to Lear to Rockwell Collins," said Timmerman. Both she and her husband are native Iowans. She graduated from ISU in 1996.

Timmerman is a small animal veterinarian. She will treat mostly dogs and cats, as well as more exotic small pets: birds, reptiles, hamsters, etc.

Working in the larger cities with more people meant more exotic patients for Timmerman, at times.

She has treated turtles, snakes, iguanas and even Solomon Island skinks, a rare type of lizard.

Timmerman designed her own building. She said she is "happy, happy happy" with the way contractor Steve Gee and his crew built the building. She is still bringing in the kennels and other equipment.

The facility will offer the full range of pet health care, from standard treatment to X-ray services and surgeries. Timmerman does not plan to offer grooming or boarding services immediately, other than medical grooming or boarding. But if she sees a demand for such services in the future, she says she would consider adding those. The same with equine medicine. If there is a demand for a veterinarian to treat horses and ponies in a couple of years, Timmerman would also consider adding that to her practice.

The Vinton-Urbanan Veterinary Hospital will hold an open house from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 10. Timmerman plans to only work Monday through Friday, but the facility will be open Saturday mornings for supplies and animal drop-off.

For more information, call the office at 319-472-3300.