One Saturday evening in 2003, a couple of girlfriends were driving back from a local hot springs when they discovered an abandoned kitten on the side of the highway. The kitten seemed to be unharmed, but it was extremely small and vulnerable. They took it to the vet clinic that one of the women used for her pet rabbit, even though they didn’t think anyone would be there on a Saturday night. Fortunately, there was a sign on the door for after-hours emergencies, and thus this kitten went on to be examined, vaccinated, and adopted on the spot. He was well-loved by the bunny-owner for the next 19 years.
The vet who was kind enough to drive into the clinic that weekend was Dr. Ruth Stafford, formerly of Animal Medical Center and the very first associate veterinarian at 360 Pet Medical. Established in 2008 on East Main Street by John Stites, 360 is now located at 338 Gallatin Park Drive and has been owned by Dr. Christine Kenyon, DVM, and Dr. Loni Odenbeck, DVM, since 2015. Servicing Bozeman’s many dogs and cats, 360 has grown into one of our town’s most popular veterinary clinics – no small feat in such an animal-centric community.
Pet parents will find 360 situated just off Manley Road, which travels north past Bozeman Beach and toward the Bridger mountains. The cheerful wood and stone building almost looks like a home, surrounded by bright shrubs, trees, and a lawn (equipped with a doggy clean-up station, of course). This welcoming appearance is appropriate, given the warm atmosphere of the clinic and its friendly staff. “In this day and age, and in this town in particular, pets are not just accessories – they are family,” says Beth Kringlie, the practice Manager.
And like a member of the family, pets need many different types of care. The veterinary services offered by 360 include general medicine, internal medicine, dental care, emergency care, diagnostic tools such as ultrasonography, surgery, preventative care, humane euthanasia, on-call specialists, and a full in-house pharmacy. "At 360, we like to have longer appointments than the typical general practice,” explains Dr. Kenyon. “We spend a little more time with our patients and their owners, and we subsequently tailor treatments to each individual case."
Critters can also obtain rehabilitation and alternative therapies here. If your pup needs acupuncture, or a full water tank to walk that recuperating knee, or in-house antibiotics, 360 has it. Their website offers a list of resources like the Canine Pain scale, Quality of Life scale, the Puppy packet, Kitten packet, Diet & Nutrition, and Making Decisions – a guide for when your furry friend is getting older.
Notably, 360 has the only certified rehabilitation veterinarian and certified underwater treadmill in the Gallatin Valley. “We get a lot of referrals for that from other clinics that do surgery, but not rehabilitation,” says Dr. Stafford. “Animals come here for rehab services after surgeries, Dr. Kenyon works with them, and then we can send them back to their regular vet.”
What kinds of animals are we talking about here? To be clear, 360 now only services dogs and cats. About sixty-five percent of their clientele are dogs, and thirty-five percent are cats.
“One thing we stand out for is the effort we make for our long-term relationships with our clients,” Dr. Stafford explains. “I have clients I’ve known from the day I started here, and they come back, and they develop a relationship with not only the doctors, but also the techs, and they know Beth – and we have a lot of employees who have been here a long time, and that speaks volumes about the practice.”
This pet parent agrees, which is why I still take my animals to 360. Their mission statement rings true: “360 Pet Medical is grounded in core values that demonstrate our commitment to H.O.N.O.R.: to honor ourselves, our team, and our profession. H.O.N.O.R. represents our dedication to Honesty, Ownership, Neutrality, Optimism, and Respect.” We want nothing less for our pets!
