In a veterinary landscape increasingly dominated by corporate chains and soaring costs, family-owned Hawthorne Quality Pet Care (HQPC) in the South Bay stands out as a beacon of personalized, compassionate, and affordable care. Opened in July 2024, the clinic is a draw for pet parents seeking top-tier veterinary treatment, trust, and education. “We want to treat your family pets like our family pets,” says HQPC’s General Manager Marc Rosenberg.
Redondo Beach City Lifestyle recently had the opportunity to experience the HQPC team in action—performing a dental extraction and cleaning on a Labrador Retriever, administering a vaccine to a Turkish Longhair cat, and handling an emergency walk-in. All in a day's work. But to understand what truly makes HQPC stand out, we need to dive into how it all started.
HQPC was born from the shared vision of Dr. Brian Adler and Marc Rosenberg, two professionals committed to offering high-quality care at a price families can afford. Dr. Adler began his veterinary career as a kennel attendant in 2005 in his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Facing educational limitations due to Canadian province restrictions, he pursued his veterinary degree in New Zealand. After graduation, he moved to Southern California, and in 2024 acquired the long-standing Hawthorne Dog and Cat Hospital from Dr. Dmitry Freyts, who has since stepped into partial retirement.
But it’s not just the leadership that goes above and beyond. One thing that sets HQPC apart is the extraordinary lengths its team will go to for patient care—sometimes literally bringing the job home. “Dr. Adler will take animals home,” Rosenberg shared. “We don't always hospitalize or we don't always have somebody watching them [at night]. Dr. Adler, myself, and other staff members have always volunteered, but Dr. Adler is the first one to volunteer.”
This level of care and experience is reflected across the team. For example, James Steepleton, a technician, has worked at a family-owned veterinary clinic and worked for major organizations like VCA and Pathway Vet Alliance learning all aspects of the field. “I did a whole loop around,” James said. “I’m excited to be back in a family-owned business—where I started.” At home, he has eight cats, a dog, and four quails.
Compassionate care at HQPC doesn’t stop with the animals. It also extends to the pet parents paying the bills. HQPC is committed to providing transparent, affordable pricing. “Typically you go to a veterinarian clinic, and you get this huge range estimate,” stated Rosenberg. “It doesn't make any sense and you’re sitting there trying to parse together what this doctor's trying to explain to you.” HQPC makes the financial side of care more straightforward and simple. They give estimates with a tighter range, accept Pet Assure, CareCredit, Scratchpay, and offer senior, veteran, and hardship discounts.
Many general veterinary practices refer complex procedures to outside specialists—adding cost and fragmentation to care. HQPC takes a different approach. “We have a specialist come in, complete the surgery, and then we manage the care,” said Rosenberg. “We try to tell [pet parents] how they do rehab at home and you save all this cost. You get all your treatment in one place, kind of like the Kaiser model.”
One of the treatments HQPC does frequently is canine dentistry, specifically teeth extractions. “I would say over 80% of dogs that come in need teeth removal,” explained Dr. Adler. “Dogs have very deep pockets in their teeth, and we're not realizing what that plaque and bacteria is doing, and so oftentimes when they come, it's better to remove the tooth than save it to prevent infection from spreading further.”
Beyond treatment, HQPC is deeply committed to empowering pet parents through education. This starts with training their team to explain diagnoses and procedures. “Even when I try to use the easiest words and least jargon, somehow it still goes over their head,” explained Dr. Adler. “We spend a lot of time actually teaching our doctor assistants because somehow people feel less overwhelmed and more willing to ask questions.”
As a result, clients often leave feeling heard, supported, and educated. The clinic even provides handouts for puppy parents on everything from teeth brushing routines to noise desensitization techniques.
HQPC is not just a clinic—it’s becoming a hub for South Bay’s pet-loving community. The team is forming partnerships with groomers, boarders, and retailers to create a trusted referral network. “There’s no Angie’s List for pet care,” said Rosenberg. “So we really focus on who we think are good.”
What drives this team is a shared understanding: pets are family, and no one should have to choose between care and cost. With every surgery, every dental exam, every vaccination, the HQPC team is reshaping what compassionate veterinary care looks like—and bringing heart back to the heart of the community.
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Vet-Backed Tips for Happier, Healthier Pets
From daily routines to long-term wellness, here’s what Dr. Adler recommends for your pet’s health.
- Brush Your Dog’s Teeth Daily: Use pet-safe toothpaste to prevent dental issues.
- Feed Cats High-Protein Wet Food: This helps support hydration and kidney health.
- Use Cool Bath Water for Itchy Dogs: Cool or room-temp water avoids worsening irritation and drying out their coat.
- Don’t Overbathe Your Dog: Twice a month is ideal, unless your dog has naturally itchy skin, then bathe them more often such as once a week.
- Ease Noise Anxiety Early: Desensitize puppies or kittens to loud sounds like fireworks or thunder by playing the TV or YouTube videos during their early development and gradually increasing the volume.
- Choose the Right Chews: If your dog finishes a chew in under 5 minutes, it’s not helping their teeth.
- Schedule Regular Dental Cleanings: Twice a year works for most dogs and for cats with “ese” in their breed name (Siamese, Tonkinese, Burmese, etc.).
- Respect Your Cats’ Personal Space: Cats are often solitary by nature—let them set the boundaries.
Regular checkups and open communication with your veterinarian can help catch health issues early and keep your pet feeling their best.