Small Business of the Year Finalist: Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center

Steve Mader of SouthTowne Motors, Presenting Sponsor; Dr. Wayne Morris, Shelby Tidwell, Dr. Cher Canaday, and Dr. Pam Johnson, all of Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center; and Ginger Jackson Queener of UBS Financial Services, Presenting Sponsor

Over the next few weeks, we'd like to introduce you to our finalists for this year's Small Business of the Year Awards coming up August 25, 2016 at The Newnan Centre. Today, meet Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center.

Chamber membership philosophy and involvement: Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center fully believes that being a member of the Chamber is a mark of excellence and integrity. Engagement with other members identifies a number of opportunities and business enrichment. Our hospital's objective is to help generate ideas, enthusiasm and dynamic business opportunities within our community and in turn feed this back through the Chamber and onward to the county's businesses as a whole. Through our attendance at appropriate events, networking forums and business expos, Dogwood demonstrates its belief in the Chamber. Through ongoing membership, we commit to maintaining the highest standards. Dr. Cher Canaday attends periodic meetings including Women of Prosperity, Early Bird Forum and other special interest meetings. Dogwood even sponsored a hole in this year's golf tournament, and our practice manager, Shelby Tidwell, was selected to participate in this year's Leadership Coweta class.

Community involvement: We have become known for our annual "Paws and Claws Fall Festival" in which all members of the community are invited to attend and participate in several activities. We focus on pet health care, education, vendors, local businesses and organizations in a fun and energetic environment. We also feel honored to be the veterinary provider for the USDA National Detector Dog Training Center located in Newnan, as well as the Coweta County Sheriff's Department canine unit. We donate to several organizations, including Newnan High School and the Coweta County Health Department, and offer discounts for nonprofit animal rescues. We have created a "Genie Jar" that we use in our hospital for pets of families in need.

How Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center differs from competitors: Dogwood Veterinary Hospital and Laser Center belongs to a small, select group of veterinary hospitals who are AAHA accredited. This is an honor that we do not take lightly. Only two other hospitals in Newnan are also accredited. We want to practice the best medicine, and one way we have accomplished this is to have state-of-the-art multimodal laser therapy, including surgical and therapeutic laser. This enables us to offer advanced surgical procedures, particularly in the area of orthopedics. A newer concept that we are implementing is fear-free training for all of our staff to encourage a less stressful visit for pets, while emphasizing wellness and preventative based care.

If you haven't yet registered for the Small Business Awards and Celebration,

click here to do so now!