Aurora Vet: Evolution of Veterinary Care
The original Aurora Vet was founded in 1972 by Dr. Dale Hague, DVM and was small animal and equine focused. He sold the practice to Dr. Art Segedy, DVM in 1982 who incorporated small animal practice with the established equine practice and had involvement with racetrack horses.
Clients residing in Mantua created an opportunity for expansion with a new location. The need for a closer Mantua Veterinary Clinic opened in a renovated garage, located on a purchased property in 1986. They began the clinic by seeing patients two afternoons a week, doing vaccines and providing care for the Mantua community’s pets. Twenty years later the current Mantua Veterinary Clinic building was opened to provide expanded services and support the needed technology.
In 1997, Dr. Ellen Imhof became the owner of Aurora Vet and Mantua Veterinary Clinic. With her new vision, she built a new building for Mantua Veterinary Clinic in 2006, located on the same property with the intent to have a more full service veterinary practice in the area.
As things continued to grow, Dr. Imhof sought an additional location to better serve clients. This led her to the Streetsboro area. She was approached by a veterinarian selling their practice in Streetsboro but decided to purchase something on her own. Dr. Imhof bought an office formerly operated by a podiatrist off State Route 43. She renovated the building and from the ground up, built what is now Streetsboro Veterinary Center in 2013.
Always with her eye on real estate opportunities, Dr. Imhof purchased land across from Marcs Plaza and built a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital in 2019 where Aurora Veterinary Clinic currently resides. When making her plans for the build, Dr. Imhof elected to have both Aurora Veterinary Clinic and Aurora Kennel in the same building with separate entrances.
Aurora Kennel was purchased by Dr. Imhof in 1994 from a private owner. The original location was located off State Route 82 on a property with a historic home.
2024 Brings A New Chapter and A New Name: Aurora Animal Care Community
In 2024, Dr. Imhof paved the way for the next chapter with a transition of ownership to four team members, Andy Matlock, DVM, Jennifer Kartley, DVM, Kim Zalewski, DVM, and Lerrissa Schmalzried, RVT, CCRP. This team has over 40 years of committed services within the practice and the surrounding communities.
“We will continue to build on the over 60 years of progressive healthcare fostered by Dr. Imhof. By cultivating staff development and wellbeing, we look to serve not just our patients but our surrounding communities.” - Dr. Jennifer Kartley
What Makes Us Different
We feel that our difference comes from the collaboration between pet owners and doctors and team members. We believe in working for the good of our team.
We invest in our team members through education, knowing that they take this knowledge and work hard to educate owners on care and options for their pets. We believe in the value of Continued Education through monthly meetings, lunch and learns, and traveling to industry events where team members can familiarize themselves with new diagnostics and treatment options.
We also have a client friendly app for owners to download and easily see their pet’s information, request appointments, refill medications and set monthly reminders.
As a privately-owned veterinary practice, we stay continually involved in the day to day operations, answering only to ourselves and our patients. This gives us the ability to tailor medicine for each patient and their family.
Our Unique Services
We cater to small animal veterinary medicine for dogs and cats, but also offer unique services above and beyond the ordinary.
We have created a dedicated rehabilitation space with an underwater treadmill, thermal imaging and newest AI laboratory equipment. We have two team members certified in Canine Rehabilitation and two of our doctors are certified in sonography. We also have a board certified surgeon in the area available to perform specialty surgeries at our Aurora Location.
Convenient Hours and Multiple Locations
We are open 6 days a week to ensure our clients have ample ability to schedule appointments that fit within their own lives. Additionally, our three locations make proximity in multiple communities more available and accessible.
Explore more about our locations below:
- Aurora Veterinary Clinic
- Mantua Veterinary Clinic
- Streetsboro Veterinary Center
- Aurora Kennel & Cat Nap Inn
Our Community Involvement
We know our involvement and giving back to our community is incredibly important. We are involved in the following:
- Offering veterinary services to our local police department and their K9 officers
- Local events in Mantua, Streetsboro, and Aurora
- Adopting families throughout our community and participating in Operation Christmas Child during the holiday season
- Supporting the advancement of veterinary and RVT students with externships and shadowing (We LOVE having students in the practice!)
- Veterinary Student Externship Program with Mississippi State and Ross University with plans to expand to other veterinary schools
“To foster growth in the veterinary profession we support externship opportunities for veterinary students and veterinary technician programs. Multiple technician programs have had students spend time with us but we are also expanding to individuals enrolled in accredited veterinary schools starting with Mississippi State. These opportunities allow students to meet their requirements for graduation.”
Awards, Honors and Affiliations
We are proud members of the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association (IVPA) and Fear Free Practitioners.