Morgan Tiefenthal, 37

Being a vet is about more than animals for Dr. Morgan Tiefenthal. 

“I want to talk to their owners,” says Tiefenthal, “and make sure we're making that connection as well.” 

Photo by Mark Wemple

When both the animal and their people are included in the discussion, “the pets are happier,” adds Tiefenthal, whose clients call her Dr. Morgan. “They’re living their best life.”

Tiefenthal works alongside her father and mentor, Dr. David Watkins, at the Animal Health Center in Sarasota, which they co-own. He taught her work ethic, in addition to her mother, Katherine Watkins, who works as a technician for an optometry practice.

“Growing up and watching my dad do this, the No. 1 thing was making sure you connect with the client,” she says.

After Tiefenthal graduated from vet school, she says she wanted to get experience elsewhere, so she worked for a multivet practice in South Carolina. She returned to Florida in 2015 to join her father, seeking a more “high-touch” experience,” and says it’s been a “joy working with him.” The two frequently collaborate on cases, which “makes the medicine better,” she says.

“We have a really good dynamic of old school and new school,” Tiefenthal says. “That's allowed us to provide some really great client care that blends the two.”

In 2017, Tiefenthal bought the 1,900-square-foot space that now houses the Animal Health Center at 2345 Bee Ridge Road for $282,000. The clinic previously leased space on US 41, but she says she wanted something “more permanent” where she would not have to worry about rent increases and overhead. She put more than $100,000 into the buildout, creating two exam rooms, a surgery suite and reception area.

The practice is “very patient-centric,” Tiefenthal says. “We want to be in the exam rooms with the owner… instead of doing everything behind the scenes.” The Bee Ridge location provides more space for people and their pets to be comfortable, she adds, while remaining small.

In recent years, Tiefenthal says she has grown as a doctor and business owner through being a parent — her children are 1 and 3 — by deepening her patience and ability to prioritize. Some of her clients knitted her baby blankets when she was pregnant, she recalls, saying: “That's what owning a small business is all about — connecting with the people in your community.”