Dunwoody has a rich history. We can see it in the preserved farmhouses and towering ancient trees that line the streets in our community. And sometimes you can just feel the rich history, the small-town appeal, layered in a growing and constantly improving community.
You can also hear about it from people like veterinarian Dr. Douglas Morgan, who opened Dunwoody Animal Hospital 49 years ago and shares stories about our city's past, as well as tales from his impressive personal and professional history.
Dr. Morgan shares stories of Dunwoody and of his life the way he cares for animals; with personalized attention, warmth, and a genuine love for anything with a beating heart. When Dr. Morgan first built Dunwoody Animal History, he recalls, “all the city really had was farmland, a hog farm, a post office, a 7-Eleven and a gas station. I was one of the first to build in what is now downtown Dunwoody.” He recalls the time he would pay the Post Master to cut the grass across the street from Mr. Spruill's farm with cows, chickens, and mules. Dunwoody felt like home for Dr. Morgan reminding him of the farm he grew up on in Kentucky surrounded by animals. Growing up on a dairy farm in Kentucky with cows, mules, and chickens, at just 8 years old he proclaimed to his father that he was going to grow up to be a veterinarian. He recalls, “even at that young age I knew I wanted to help take care of animals." Despite his small-town foundation, shortly after vet school, Dr. Morgan was quickly introduced to a big city feel and stories to match when he worked for two years in Las Vegas. He humbly recalls, as if just listing off items on a to-do list, “several of those Vegas star’s pets were in my care. Wayne Newton’s horse, Frank Sinatra's wife’s dog, Mia Farrow’s pets, oh, and Betty Grable’s dog as well. She surprised me a bit because I had seen her pin-up photos before, but not her in person. I got a call from a Mrs. James (married to bandleader Harry James) wanting a house call for her dog. I about fell over when the door opened and I realized Betty Grable was standing in front of me in the flesh!”
Other “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” stories also emerged that bring a chuckle out of Dr. Morgan even to this day. He recalls one specific emergency vet call at 2 am from a woman begging him to come right away. So he walked over to the clinic with his roommate and when he turned on the lights, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He asked his roommate to go into the examining room and report what color the dog was. The roommate went in, came out, and said “that dog is GREEN!” Turns out it was St. Patrick’s Day and the woman had dyed her dog green to celebrate. Unfortunately, the dog was allergic to RIT dye and the three of them spent the night giving the dog bath after bath as well as medication to help with the severe allergic reaction. Even after 56 years of practicing, Dr. Morgan thinks there's no better place than Dunwoody to have a business, and can’t think of a more rewarding profession.
“It’s the really nice people in this community and their pets that make it so special."
Dunwoody Animal Hospital is a full-service clinic offering preventative health care, general surgery, in-house lab, ultrasound, radiology, and nutritional services. They also provide dental care, have a pharmacy, and have bathing services.
