It’s not unusual to see concerned pet owners take to social media in search of a nearby vet clinic that’s not already overbooked. Most of the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of veterinary professionals in something The Atlantic refers to as “The Great Veterinary Shortage.” Unfortunately, this scarcity of qualified pet healthcare providers translates to increased wait times at both emergency animal hospitals and clinics, and Utah County is no exception.
Alika and Brittney Fisher are excited to announce the opening of their new mobile vet clinic, Summit Vet Clinic in Santaquin, set to open September 30. The 53-foot-long mobile clinic will operate out of the Ace Hardware parking lot on Santaquin Main Street until the Fishers are able to secure ground and build a brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic in Santaquin. The hope is that this will happen within the next two years.
Alika and Brittney Fisher said that they are excited to give residents of Santaquin and surrounding cities another option when it comes to their pets’ healthcare needs.
Alika graduated in 2016 from the Utah State, Washington State School of Veterinary Medicine. Under this program, students spend the first two years at Utah State University. Then, they spend the final two years of the program at Washington State University, where they have the opportunity to graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DMV) degree.
After graduating with his doctorate, Alika and his family moved to Baker City, Oregon, where he practiced as a veterinarian for three years. Then, in 2019, the Fisher family packed up and moved to Gunnison, Utah, where Alika began providing mixed-animal care. He’s treated a wide variety of animals, including dogs, cows and horses.
“It’s been a good opportunity for experience because when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, you kind of have to learn to do everything,” Alika Fisher says of working in a rural environment. “There’s no referral hospital to kick a surgery to or do any of that stuff.”
The Fishers explain that they’ve wanted to have their own vet clinic since they left Oregon years ago. Brittney was the first to suggest they start with a mobile clinic. At first, Alika shot the idea down because he was set on having a brick-and-mortar location. But when he found out it could take two years or longer to build a stationary building and get it up and running, he conceded that a mobile clinic wasn’t such a bad idea after all. That’s how the idea for Summit Vet Clinic was born.
While many mobile vet clinics operate out of a van, repurposed Winnebago, or small bumper-pull trailer, Summit Vet Clinic operates out of a 53-foot-long trailer with 45 feet of usable space. The front portion of the trailer contains a diesel-powered generator that powers the clinic. The back portion contains a lobby, exam room and a surgical suite. It also contains a laboratory that’s capable of getting blood panel results back in under an hour.
Due to the size of the clinic, Summit Vet Clinic isn’t fully mobile. Instead, it’s a bit of a hybrid between a mobile and brick-and-mortar clinic where it has a permanent location in the Santaquin Ace Hardware parking lot.
The Fishers look forward to getting to know locals better as they take good care of their furry family members. The Fishers agree that they don’t ever want clients to feel like they’re just a number.
“Our goal is to strive to make it a personal experience,” Brittney Fisher said, “And Alika wants to be able to spend enough time to build a relationship with his clients and build trust. He has many faithful clients who will follow him wherever he goes because they love having that experience and that one-on-one relationship.”
Alika agrees that providing veterinary care isn’t just about the animals—though they’re certainly a huge part.
“You can drive yourself crazy trying to cram people in and out as fast as you can, but that’s not good for the client and honestly, that’s not good for me,” Alika Fisher said. “I like to be able to talk with people. It makes my job a lot more enjoyable. That’s probably what drew me more to this profession. The animal stuff is part of it, obviously, but the human interaction part of it—I don’t want to lose that.”
Summit Vet Clinic is located in the Ace Hardware parking lot in Santaquin Utah, at 110 N. 400 E. Clients can book appointments online at summitveterinaryclinic.com or by calling 435-348-1280. The clinic’s operating hours are Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For real-time information and updates, new and interested clients are encouraged to follow the clinic on Instagram @summit.vet.
