Big & Small, he loves them all
Big & Small, he loves them all
MOSES LAKE — Dick Maier, a doctor of veterinarian medicine and owner of Pioneer Veterinary Clinic, wanted to become a veterinarian when he was in high school.
"Growing up I worked on a ranch and whenever we had the vet come out to work on the cattle, I thought it looked like fun," said Maier.
Maier attended Washington State University, considered one of the nation's top veterinary schools, and received his degree in veterinarian medicine.
Maier moved to Moses Lake with his wife Barbie in 1994 because, he said, "I was looking for a small community to raise my kids in and I like Eastern Washington." Maier raised his three sons Rick, 22, Mike, 21 and Joe, 14, in Moses Lake and currently Rick and Mike are attending Central Washington University.
Maier opened up a small practice concentrating on companion animals and exotic pets. "We work with pocket pets, reptiles, birds and almost any type of family pet," said Maier.
One of the more unusual pets Maier has worked with is a tarantula.
"There are lots of hazards when working in a veterinarian clinic," explained Maier. "I have gotten bitten and scratched on the job, but when you have a real sick animal come in and the owners don't think the pet will make it and you're able to pull the pet through, it makes it worthwhile."
Maier also works with Moses Lake High School students through a program called Work-Based Learning. The program allows high school students to get a feel for what it is like to be a veterinarian. "We take up to three students every semester and they are able to observe what we do and help with some of our animals," he said.
Maier's clinic offers animal dentistry, surgery and medicine.
"It's like a family practice for animals," mentioned Maier.
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