Business Profile: Taconic Route 202 24 Hour Veterinary Center, Cortlandt
Photo credit: Neal Rentz
Putnam Valley resident Dr. Leonard Berk said he opened Taconic Route 202 24 Hour Veterinary Center in Cortlandt on June 13 because he wanted to provide a needed service – around the clock medical care for pets.
Berk, the hospital director, said last week there are only two other similar facilities in Westchester County.
Berk explained why he opened the center. “The number one reason is to give something back to the community,” he said. “People have discussed for many, many years that going to the other two hospitals late at night was too far.”
The other two around-the-clock vet care facilities are in Bedford and Yonkers, he noted.
The response to his news facility has been excellent, Berk said. “The emergency clinic has taken off very, very well, specialty areas have done very, very well and the general practice is growing on a daily basis,” he said.
Berk has operated another facility, Cortlandt Animal Hospital, for 35 years.
A variety of services are provided at the center. “We offer a board certified surgeon,” Berk said. “We are the only hospital on the east coast with both the hyperbaric chamber and the Artemis Therapy Laser, which are used to treat many, many different conditions, mostly orthopedic or neurological.”
The Center provides the only CT scan specifically for animals, Berk noted. Berk said his emergency services clients generally come from such municipalities as Cortlandt, Peekskill, Yorktown, and Mahopac.
“I still see clients,” said Berk, who leads a staff of 24. “I’m in charge of the whole hospital.Berk has been a veterinarian for 39 years. He made the decision to enter the field when he was a young boy, Berk said. “When I was in second grade something told me that this was my calling,” he recalled. “It’s all I’ve ever focused on.”
“Probably, the secret to my success is number one it that, I really care about what I do. And number two is that I’m always looking to better myself and better the hospital and be able to offer people services that they cannot get anywhere else and I’m always trying to stay on the cutting edge as far as dong new things,” Berk said.
Taconic Route 202 24 Hour Veterinary Center is located at 3655 Crompond Rd. in Cortlandt. For more information, call 914-737-2437, send an e-mail to info@24HrVetCenter.com or visit 24HrVetCenter.com.
