Where we began
Noah’s Landing Pet Care Clinic began as the Booth Veterinary Hospital, pioneered in 1932 during the midst of the Great Depression just across the street from the present location. Dr. Frank and Mrs. Leonore Booth, after his graduation from Michigan State University, paid $29 a month on the loan they used to start operations. A large and modern clinic for the time was built at 3929 E. Jackson in 1941. He was very active in the breeding and dog show world, and was one of the first veterinarians to hold an international judge license. Dr. Booth was also responsible for coordinating the War Dog effort in our community during WWII. He also served on the national executive committee of the American Animal Hospital Association for several years.
Through the years
Dr. W. Harold Davis (OSU, ’56) purchased the hospital from Dr. Booth in 1959. Dr. Davis served as a Base Veterinarian and Preventive Medicine Officer for the U.S. Air Force in France and Germany before his move to Elkhart. In 1967, Dr. Davis undertook the remodel of the animal clinic and gave it the style of its street view, many parts of which can be seen today.
Dr. Lyndon Conrad, an OSU ’68 grad, came as an associate in the same year. He purchased the practice in 1983. The third renovation, completed it in 1997, nearly tripled the size of the clinic. The clinic won “The Practice of Excellence Award”, a national award for outstanding service and dedication to clients and pets. The award, sponsored by Veterinary Economics, is given to only 12 practices annually. In that year, this clinic was the only unanimous selection. Dr. Conrad was committed to providing modern, compassionate care for four decades.
Honoring the legacy
The new millennium saw Dr. Jill Windy join the Noah’s team in 2000, after graduating from the University of Illinois. She began a partnership with Dr. Conrad in 2005. Upon Dr. Conrad’s retirement in 2009, she became the sole owner and continues to this day to maintain the expectation of excellence and innovation in providing service and veterinary care to our community. Since 2009 there have been major upgrades to the equipment, physical plant, and management systems. Laser therapy and regenerative medicine were also added as treatment modalities for our patients. She instituted wellness programs for preventive care and authored multiple articles for a national publication on the subject.
Then and now
The legacy and mission of this practice have always been to be a caring, warm, safe place, which is reflected in the decor as well as in our attitudes and core values.
Noah’s Landing has been a proud member of the American Animal Hospital Association since 1961. AAHA accreditation is a voluntary accreditation and guarantees our clients and patients that we are meeting the highest standards in the field of Veterinary Medicine.
