Owner Doug Poorman Credits Community Support for Business’s Success
Doug Poorman, DVM, has had a love for animals, nature and community from a young age. “I grew up in a rural community similar to Buckeye Lake and enjoyed spending time in the summer on my grandparents’ farm,” said Doug. “I have always had a variety of pets and I spent a good deal of my childhood working with livestock and horses. These experiences have always drawn me toward the field of veterinary medicine and helped me appreciate the human animal bond.”
Doug entered the veterinary field after graduating from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. He started out at a practice in Mt. Gilead, Ohio and then moved onto Feeder Creek Veterinary Services. Doug opened PetPlex Animal Hospital in November 2003; the practice started out as a low-cost vaccine practice but now operates as a general practice and a referral practice for smaller clinics in the area.
“We moved into our current facility in Buckeye Lake in March of 2010 and have been excited to be able to offer our clientele improved services because of the additional space in the new hospital. We offer diagnostic services and we have the ability to care for more complex cases,” Doug notes. PetPlex has about 30,000 clients (pet owners) and averages about 18,000 appointments in a year. As a full-service veterinary service, PetPlex provides medical, surgical, and dental care as well as on-site grooming, boarding and obedience and behavior training.
“I have enjoyed the generous support of the Buckeye Lake community and I believe the Buckeye Lake region has a tremendous amount of potential; there are wonderful people that live and work here,” says Doug. “I’m interested in helping to make the community the best it can be and that’s why getting involved with the Buckeye Lake Region Community Foundation and the Buckeye Lake Region Corporation appealed to me – both personally and as a business owner.”
Like most business owners, Doug is very community orientated and PetPlex owes much of it’s success because of the community support the business has received. “I believe the Buckeye Lake 2036 Community Vision fits perfectly with the vision that small businesses share. I would encourage other business owners to explore how they can get involved and help their resources go further by working with their peers.”
Through his involvement with the BLRC, Doug met former OSU professor Bill Mitch. Together the two have started a wetlands project on the property at PetPlex. The project is focused on helping to address and reduce runoff from local farmers’ fields, which can lead to blue green algae in the watershed. Doug has secured grants and other means of funding to support the project and Bill has engaged area grad students to assist.
Doug’s commitment to the Buckeye Lake community goes beyond providing exceptional care to the region’s pets and pet owners. He is actively involved the Buckeye Lake Civic Association, as well as working with the Harbor Community Center.
To learn more about Doug and PetPlex Animal Hospital, visit: https://petplex.net/