Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP 263: Dr. Susan Schoch: Finding Voice for the Voiceless at El Dorado Animal Hospital

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Dr. Susan Schoch with El Dorado Animal Hospital a good neighbor?

Tucked away behind a Sherwin-Williams paint store in McKinney, Texas, lies a veterinary practice where compassion meets science. Dr. Susan Schoch of El Dorado Animal Hospital joins us to share her remarkable journey from a child who wasn't allowed to have pets to becoming a dedicated veterinarian giving voice to the voiceless.

The conversation quickly dispels a persistent myth in veterinary medicine—that practitioners are motivated primarily by profit. Dr. Schoch's passionate declaration, "If we could do this for free, I would," underscores the genuine care driving her work. She explains how the lack of insurance structures similar to human healthcare creates financial challenges that sometimes lead to misunderstandings about veterinary costs.

What makes this episode particularly moving is Dr. Schoch's candid discussion about losing her father to cancer while studying veterinary medicine abroad in Grenada. This profound personal loss transformed her approach to end-of-life care for pets, equipping her with unique empathy when guiding pet owners through similar difficult journeys. Rather than viewing euthanasia as a burden, she now considers it an honor to help families through one of life's most challenging moments.

El Dorado Animal Hospital has served McKinney since 1998, primarily caring for dogs and cats with a team that prides itself on remembering both clients and their pets by name. Whether you're seeking routine care or emergency services, Dr. Schoch emphasizes their commitment to availability—"Even if we don't [have availability], we will do our best to get you in, no matter what."

Have a local business that deserves recognition? Visit GNPFrisco.com to nominate them for a future episode, and experience the difference at El Dorado Animal Hospital where your pet isn't just another patient—they're family.

To learn more about El Dorado Animal Hospital go to:

https://www.eldoradovets.com/

El Dorado Animal Hospital

945-224-6669



Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of an animal hospital? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, dr Susan Shook, with El Dorado Animal Hospital. Dr Susan, how are you today? I'm good. How are you doing? I'm also doing good and we are excited to learn all about you and your business.

Speaker 3:

Tell us a bit about your company. So our hospital is El Dorado Animal Hospital here in McKinney, Texas. We've been around since 1998. We are located at El Dorado and Hardin and our original building used to be across the street in a little strip mall. And then the original owner and founder, Dr Thompson, about a year later, 1999, just moved right across the street and built a standalone clinic and we've been here ever since.

Speaker 2:

Wow and tell us a bit more about your journey into the business. How did you get started with the animal hospital?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I've always gravitated towards animals. Like I wasn't really allowed to have any pets growing up, so I'd always try to sneak in the neighborhood cats or dogs. My dad loved animals so whenever mom wasn't home I was allowed to bring him inside, but then when she got home they had to go back out. But I've always gravitated towards science and I always knew I wanted to do something in medicine and I thought, maybe for a short, always knew I wanted to do something in medicine and I thought, maybe for a short time. I wanted to be a human doctor. And one day in college I was just watching Animal Planet and realized that no, I wanted to be a veterinarian and decided to get my foot in the door by starting as a veterinary technician, and the rest is history.

Speaker 2:

So, dr Susan, what is it about helping animals? That intrigues you the most?

Speaker 3:

I like giving them a voice, being able to help diagnose or make them feel better or kind of solve the mystery or puzzle as to what's going on with them, what they want to tell us that they can't. I feel like I have a pretty good intuition or sensing of what they need and how they're feeling.

Speaker 2:

Now, on that note, let's get into the most common myth or misconception you come across when it comes to working in an animal hospital.

Speaker 3:

The biggest myths, I guess I would say. Unfortunately, it kind of has a negative connotation behind it, but a lot of people think we're in it for the money or the dollar, or we're working behind the scenes with food companies, and that's just not the case. We do this for the love of the animals and the passion. If we could do this for free, I would. So I think that's. The biggest misconception is, if money wasn't an object, I would do anything and everything.

Speaker 2:

Wow, I didn't even know that that was a common thing. I always think when people want to help animals like very genuine people.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I agree, but unfortunately because we don't have insurance like the health, human, health industry. So I think it would be way different if we did have insurance like that.

Speaker 2:

Who are your target customers?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so marketing, how do you attract anyone and everyone, anyone that has animals, love animals. We're here for them. So we're primarily a small animal practice, so meaning dogs and cats, we don't really do any exotics or we call them pocket pets, which are guinea pigs, hamsters, things like that. But anyone you know, small to old, you know, bring on your, your cats and dogs and we'll see them. And what do you like to do outside of work for fun? And what do you like to do outside of work for fun? I like being active, going to the gym. I love playing volleyball. I play in an Allen Recreational Competitive Volleyball League. I love seeing movies and reading books. I love horror.

Speaker 2:

Like anything, disaster or horror like that's my favorite. Let's go ahead and switch gears for a second. Can you describe a hardship or life challenge you overcame and how it made you a better and stronger woman today? What comes to mind for you?

Speaker 3:

um father actually, um passed away from cancer when I was in vet school.

Speaker 3:

Um, he passed away my third semester of vet school and I went to vet school in St George's um university, which is in Grenada, um, which is in the Caribbean, and so I had to take time, you know, to leave the semester and grieve, and you know he promised or he made me promise that I would return and finish school and not sit around and feel sorry for myself, so went back, finished school. It equips me for end of life conversations with pets and their owners a lot easier. I don't know something that's just like shifted in me to. I don't view end of life as, you know, something that I just can't handle or it's too hard to do. Something that I just can't handle or it's too hard to do. I actually feel honored to take on that role and help owners go through probably one of the hardest days of their lives and being strong for them and letting them know that they're always going to be there and that there's another side, that they'll see them again.

Speaker 2:

Can I just say how impressive it is how you took one of the darkest moments for you and you turned it into something good to help other people. That's an amazing quality to have. Thank you, Dr Shook. Please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about El Dorado Animal Hospital.

Speaker 3:

We are here. We have availability all the time. Even if we don't, we will do our best to get you in, no matter what. I think we have an amazing team that always remembers your name when you walk through the door, as well as your pets, always remembers your name when you walk through the door, as well as your pets. We offer top quality care. We want nothing but the best for you and your animal. And we're tucked away. It's hard to see us. We don't have a sign that's easily seen from the street, so just remember that we're behind Sherwin-Williams paint and behind McDonald's. So we're a little tucked away. So sometimes you kind of have to try and find us.

Speaker 2:

And what is one funny story you have from working with these animals in the animal hospital? Let's brighten up the mood a bit.

Speaker 3:

Oh, one funny moment I guess kind of a silly one is we have this Labrador named Daisy and she was in a kennel and we thought we had closed it and she was, you know, just sitting in there, nice and comfy, waiting for us to get to her. And we're all standing in the hallway and the treatment room it's just an open doorframe and all of a sudden, like there's Daisy in the middle of the hallway just looking up at us like hey, what's going on guys? So I guess somehow she was able to break out of her, of her kennel.

Speaker 2:

That is funny. And where can our listeners go to learn more about El Dorado Animal Hospital? So you can.

Speaker 3:

Google us just by typing El Dorado Animal Hospital. Our website is EldoradoVetscom. You can find us on Facebook. We're working on Instagram. We're not too social media savvy, but yeah, those are the main platforms.

Speaker 2:

Well, Dr Susan, I really appreciate you being on the show and we wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPFriscocom. That's GNPFriscocom, or call 469-221-9345. ¶¶.