Afternoon sunlight pours into the bright interiors of Pets4Life, a new full-service veterinary hospital and pet care facility in Highland Park. When the door swings open and clients see owners Greg Gibson and Meg Gibson Revord, they relax and chat. It's the kind of joke between longtime acquaintances that has been part of the North Shore town's culture for decades.
Brothers Greg and Meg grew up on the North Shore in a family home filled with pets. “Dogs, cats, hamsters, rats and even parrots!” says Meg as she describes the zoo. “We have always been animal lovers.”
After finding success in other fields, the brother-sister team was inspired to start Pets4Life because of their abiding love for animals.
“We both felt that a more holistic approach to animal care was definitely needed,” says Meg. Meg's current list of pets includes two rescued Siberian huskies, two cats, and more on the way. “After working as a lawyer for 35 years, I have been thinking about the next chapter of my career for several years. Greg has been involved in real estate, private equity, and other small business operations before deciding on his next career chapter. We were looking for a challenge, and this adventure seemed like the right step for both of us.”
As a one-stop shop, Pet4Life fills the gap that Gibson and Revord saw in the pet care space.
“Our entire business model is centered around veterinarians and their staff and their years of animal care expertise. Here, our veterinarians provide input and expertise on all aspects of pet care. ” explains Gibson. “In addition to pet medical care, our veterinarians approve and support our grooming processes, pet foods, and other pet products. We also offer pet training and will soon be providing training for owners and their pets. We also plan to provide day care services for the children.
With two veterinarians, two veterinary technicians, and a pet grooming and spa care specialist, we have the resources to provide the attention and care needed for this wide range of services. This includes everything from a comprehensive pet health exam and vaccinations for your new puppy or kitten, to full body haircuts, baths, nail clipping, ear cleaning, tooth brushing, hygienic trimming, and “bowing.” This includes everything from pet spa and salon services such as. ” — a splash of bandana and cologne.
A complete directory of more intensive veterinary procedures and emergency pet care during business hours is also provided. Currently, the practice is focused on dogs and cats, but Gibson and Revord say it could expand to other species of pet animals in the future. And once the Highland Park facility is well established, the team plans to open Pets4Life stores in other communities.
“We love being located in this vibrant, pet-friendly retail community,” Revord said. “Central Avenue in Highland Park is an ideal and convenient location for residents to bring their pets when they need pet care.”
The Pets4Life website blog reinforces the educational aspect of its mission and features fresh content created in collaboration with veterinarians, groomers, and trainers.
“Before we share information with our clients, we conduct research to provide articles on the most important, current, or overlooked issues. So far, the feedback has been It’s amazing,” Revord said.
Adding fun to the educational equation, Pets4Life hosts monthly pet-focused events for families. The Iditarod gathering last month featured stories of Siberian Huskies and the world-famous races they run, and drew a large number of participants. “Orphans of the Storm” comes in his May with adoptable pets. And he will be joining his Pets4Life in August with his Dogs for the Blind leader, trainer, dog, and “puppy friend” who is a Chicago-area puppy and his trainer.
“It's great that the community has the opportunity to come with their children to learn about the animals, meet the veterinarians and groomers, and tour the facility,” Revord said.
Many people are surprised by its size and scope. Pets4Life is a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital designed by Santini Studio with exam rooms and surgery theaters to the rear, spacious retail space to the front, and dog training, spa and salon on the lower level.
“The goal was to create a premier care facility where pet owners could go for all things pet-related,” Gibson added. “Our design and production team did a great job and we are very happy with the result. We welcome more pet lovers in the area to come see it for themselves .”
To learn more about Pets4Life's services and upcoming events, visit pets4.com.
