Photo by Dana Kacedon "OK, BUT I WON'T SMILE," seems to be the policy of Felecia Niebojeski's dog, Faith. Her veterinarian owner is celebrating her 20th anniversary as proprietor of the Animal Hospital of Clinton-Perryville.

"Besides animals, you have to love people. You will be caring for the owners as much as the pets, and interacting with many different people everyday. Helping an owner through a difficult time can be one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Getting a kiss from a puppy you nursed back to health is wonderful, getting a hug from the owner is great as well."

UNION TWP. - Felecia Niebojeski is celebrating her 20th year as owner of the Animal hospital of Clinton-Perryville.

Growing up in Jersey City, she wanted to be a nurse until she realized women could be doctors. Meanwhile, she was watching every animal show on TV - National Geographic, Wild Kingdom, Lassie. When she was about 12, her father suggested, "if you like medicine and you love animals, why not combine the two and become a veterinarian?"

When she tried to work at local vets' offices, she was told veterinary medicine is "not for girls." Dr. Niebojeski said, "The more they told me I couldn't, the more I said, ‘Why not'?"

In college, Dr. Niebojeski volunteered at a busy small-animal practice in New York City, then spent 2 summers working at Monmouth Park, walking racehorses to get some large animal experience. She studied veterinary medicine at Purdue University in Indiana, with the hopes of becoming a zoo vet. She volunteered at the Crandon Park Zoo in Key Biscayne, FL and interned at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and at the Bronx Zoo. "I loved working with the exotic animals . . . performing surgery myself on a Thompson's gazelle; helping to raise a baby wallaby kicked out of the pouch by his Mom and a baby mountain goat also rejected by her Mom."

Dr. Niebojeski assisted in the care of many species - from Polar and Kodiak bears to tiny birds, lizards and turtles. But the bureaucracy of government work was not for her, so she turned to small-animal medicine. She specializes in dogs and cats, although she sees an occasional rabbit or guinea pig if it belongs to one of her clients.

Dr. Niebojeski volunteers her services to 2 wildlife rehabilitators in the area.

After working 5 years with various small-animal practices in New Jersey, Dr. Niebojeski bought the Animal Clinic of Clinton in 1984. "It was a tiny practice in the basement of a house in Clinton, and had been established 30 or 40 years before," says Dr. Niebojeski. In 1988 the practice moved into its current building at 58 Route 173 and assumed its current name.

Dr. Niebojeski said, "I enjoy getting to know my clients as people and understanding their relationship with their pets. . . I always recommend what is the best for the pet, but if there are money constraints, I also try to offer alternatives."

"There is so much new every day in vet medicine - diseases that we see commonly now that we didn't know about when I was in school - or understanding the importance of clean and healthy teeth and gums to a pet's overall health. Keeping up is crucial. I tell students who say they want to be a vet that they ought to love school. A love of animals is a given, an interest in science and medicine is also required, but a lifelong love of learning new things is the most important."

Her love of animals extends into her personal life. She and her husband Doug Perschbacher have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and 4 more cats live at the office. She is on the board of the Hunterdon County SPCA and the Rocky Springs Wildlife Refuge.

Used by permission and courtesy of the Hunterdon County Democrat