A veterinarian committed to excellence

For the past four years, veterinarian Dr Gavin Hall has dedicated his life to caring for animals.

Dr Hall’s love for animals began at an early age.

“I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since I was five years old. My very first dog died at the vet’s office, and it ignited a drive inside me to treat animals. This drive was further fostered by my parents, who supported my dream with books, National Geographic subscriptions, and zoo visits. I also had an aunt who loved animals and was very present in my formative years,” Dr Hall shared.

Dr Hall, a past student of Campion College, studied veterinary science at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland. He then completed his medical degree at the School of Veterinary Medicine at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, in Trinidad.

“It was a long and difficult journey, but every step of it shaped me into the veterinarian I am today. I learned invaluable life lessons along with my medical knowledge. Life as a veterinarian is much easier because of the challenges I faced in school,” Dr Hall recalled.

Last year, Dr. Hall was honoured as Best Veterinarian at the True Pet Industry Awards. Established in 2023, these awards, part of the annual True Pet Expo, recognise and celebrate excellence within the pet industry. They are designed to honour individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of pets and support their owners.

Dr Hall was thrilled to receive the recognition from the True Pet Industry Awards.

“For me, it was an honour to receive that award. It meant that the hard work I’ve put in over the last few years to establish myself was recognised by the pet community. As one of the ‘newer’ members of the veterinary profession, it signified that I was on the right track in helping to usher veterinary medicine in Jamaica into a new era. I believe that my client relations, customer service, consistent patient improvement, social media presence, and improved quality of life for patients and clients earned me that respect,” said Dr Hall.

He added, “The recognition increased my exposure to people who didn’t know me or work with me before. The reputation that True Pet Food has built in the eyes of the Jamaican public allowed me, as an awardee, to gain some level of trust from their audience.”

Dr Hall shared what he enjoys most about his job.

“I enjoy the feeling that comes from a client absolutely adoring their pet. I love seeing pet owners treat their dogs like family members and do everything to cater to their pets’ needs. That makes this job worthwhile because nothing can replicate that bond.”

He also believes that veterinarians are respected by pet owners and farmers.

“It has been growing slowly among people who don’t have animals. I think this is due to many people not understanding how far-reaching our impact is. Most people think we only see dogs and cats, but vets also care for cows, chickens, pigs, and goats that are eventually consumed. We also play a role in public health by preventing zoonotic diseases from being passed to humans. People might not realise that we perform all the same tasks as human doctors, but for multiple species. This includes surgery, nutrition management, X-rays, and dentistry,” Dr Hall disclosed.

As someone who owns two German Shepherds and provides care for animals daily, Dr Hall is deeply concerned about animal cruelty.

“One of the few things I dislike is experiencing the effects of animal cruelty firsthand. The intentional or accidental neglect of animals is an area we need to improve as a country because it correlates directly with empathy and respect for one another. If you want to know what someone is like, take a good look at how they treat their inferiors, not their equals,” said Dr Hall.

Dr Hall operates a mobile practice that serves the areas of St Catherine and St Andrew.

The next True Pet Expo, taking place on Sunday, October 13 at the Kingston Polo Club, Caymanas, will again recognise several individuals and businesses at the second staging of the True Pet Industry Awards.