Passing the reins at Carson City's Lone Mountain Veterinary Hospital
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 4:58pm
Vowing to keep the hometown vet promise that has been at the core of the Lone Mountain Veterinary Hospital since first opening in 1995, Dr. Katie Roberts became the official owner of successful veterinary practice on Valentine’s Day taking over from Margie Quirk who has been the owner since 2009.
In the 28 years since the popular practice opened in 1995, there have been only three owners: Dr. John Margolin, Margie Quirk, and current owner Dr. Roberts. It was Dr. Margolin who set the philosophy of “practicing high quality medicine with the feel of a hometown hospital” which continues to be the philosophy today.
Quirk became a partner in 2006 and full owner in 2009. She never wavered from Dr. Margolin’s original vision, and Dr. Roberts vows to do the same stating, “This pet hospital, the vets, and the support staff are already awesome and there is no need to change the philosophy that has worked all these years.”
It was always Dr. Margolin’s philosophy not to sell his practice to larger veterinary corporations so he would be able to maintain control while providing personalized service to his clients and their pets.
The hospital building and the kennels function today exactly as Dr. Margolin envisioned when he bought what was then a vacant rural acre in 1994 designing the building to look as though it had been a home remodeled into an old-fashioned veterinary hospital.
He reminisces, “In 1994, the road in front of the vacant lot (now E. College Parkway) was known as Graves Lane and although it was considered remote at the time, I felt it was the right location because the U.S. Census Bureau projected growth to take place in Carson City and there was the promise of the freeway bypass.”
He turned out to be a visionary.
As Quirk grew the business even further, she hired more veterinarians to assist in the growing practice. Dr. Roberts began in September 2009 and has been the lead veterinarian since 2013. She knows what it takes to run a full-service practice that includes boarding, grooming, exotic pet care and more.
For Quirk, the passing of the reins is bittersweet, for working with animals has always been her passion. She was a vocal champion for building the Carson City Animal Shelter and believes in working with and patronizing local businesses first and foremost for any supplies and services needed. She also has been a civic leader and when called upon, has always willingly served as any good “hometown” veterinary hospital owner would be expected to do.
Dr. Margolin gives kudos to Quirk stating, “Margie has done more for this practice than I could ever have done, and she has kept the spirit of the place.”
Quirk states, “I am ready to release control and wind down after many years of being solely responsible for this 24/7 business which kept me up many nights.” She recently suffered a major fall while riding her beloved horses (“my fault, not theirs”) and the subsequent health problems associated with the fall hastened her decision to sell although she anticipates about a 6-month part-time transition before fully retiring.
Dr. Roberts will be joined by her husband Jason who will serve as hospital manager overseeing a staff of 23 including three veterinarians and three licensed vet technicians. A 2003 graduate of Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech , she has two daughters ages 15 and 17 now attending Carson High. For her, this is a dream come true and states, “Lone Mountain Veterinary Hospital is awesome already, and I will not be making any changes in philosophy.”
To learn more: www.lonemountainvet.com or call 775-883-3136. You can also visit their Facebook page.
— Writer Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.
