T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Since 1998, Dr. Grant Jacobson has provided medical care to the pets of Marshalltown and the surrounding area. Now, he is opening a clinic of his own alongside wife Jami, called the Hometown Veterinarian, 101 Iowa Avenue West, Suite 300. It will officially open its doors Oct. 20 with a grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Since 1998, Dr. Grant Jacobson has provided medical care to the pets of Marshalltown and the surrounding area. Now, he is opening a clinic of his own.

The Hometown Veterinarian, 101 Iowa Avenue West, Suite 300, will officially open its doors Oct. 20 with a grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“After a change of ownership in that facility (in which he was previously employed), I decided to venture out on my own and got this project going,” Dr. Jacobson said.

A family affair, the clinic is locally owned and operated. He will be aided by his wife Jami, who will manage the office.

“My goal here is to establish a high-quality medical facility,” he said. “I just want a place people are going to feel comfortable to come and feel like they had quality care without having to leave town to get it.”

The veterinarian will exclusively treat pets including cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, ferrets and reptiles. His facility will provide wellness exams, dental care, microchipping, critical care and surgery. Dr. Jacobson said a large aspect of his career has been performing surgeries, particularly orthopedic. He spent the spring and summer making house calls — a service he will continue to offer.

A native of Ferguson, he completed veterinarian school at Iowa State University in 1997 then for a short time worked for a clinic in Minnesota before returning to Marshall County.

“Our family is here and this is where we want to be,” Jami said.

The Hometown Veterinarian is set up in a 5,000-square foot building — the former location of the Dollar Tree.

“It was an empty, open box when we came in, so we put in rooms,” he said.

Renovating the space to have all the high-tech touches he wanted has been a team effort. Since July, the Jacobsons have been working to turn the space into an inviting, home-like environment.

“We really have strived to make it a confortable place for pets, clients and staff,” Jami said. “And we have separate areas for cats and dogs.”

While technicians Abby Murphy and Tiffany Riddle haven’t seen any patients yet, they’ve still been hard at work helping to paint, stain wood and assemble cabinets.

Dr. Jacobson said his practice will offer some of the latest advances in technology. It will also have an in-house pharmacy.

“We have a blood machine here that the Mayo Clinic uses,” he said.

The veterinarian said that facility provided some inspiration for his clinic’s design.

“We made trips to the to Mayo Clinic for health reasons, but out of that I was really impressed with the whole feel up there and how it flows,” he said.

Looking to the future, Dr. Jacobson said he would like to add other veterinarians to his staff.

The open house will include a tour of the clinic, snacks for humans and pets and prizes.

“We will start taking appointments after the open house,” he said.

The clinic will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone service will begin at 7:30 a.m. For more information, the clinic may be reached at 641-352-7333.

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at (641) 753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com