Thomasville Animal Hospital, GVL Customer of the Month

by Rebecca Haugland | August 15, 2019

Every month, we are featuring veterinary clinics and hospitals who utilize GVL in their practices. We look forward to showcasing the work that you do and the role we play in your business. If you would like to have your clinic featured, please contact us.


Meet the Staff

Veterinarians

  • Dr. V. Todd Cooley
  • Dr. Jodi D’Amico
  • Dr. Ward Mills
  • Dr. Bailey Feinberg
  • Dr. Amy Reeves
  • Dr. Jessie Stanley
  • Dr. Katherine Hilburn
  • Dr. Jennifer Mason

Licensed Technicians

  • Kristy Roland, RVT
  • Gayle Spelman, RVT
  • Sara Parramore, RVT
  • Kelly Beaty, RVT
  • Sharon Poitevint, RVT
  • Lindsey Kirkland, RVT

About Thomasville Animal Hospital

Thomasville Animal Hospital is a full service small animal and equine hospital in Thomasville, Georgia and serves Thomasville, Tallahassee and the surrounding Red Hills areas.

Their services and facilities are designed to assist in routine preventive care for young, healthy animals, early detection and treatment of disease for aging companion and performance animals, and complete medical and surgical care as necessary during an animal’s lifetime.

“The practice has grown tremendously since I joined in 2000, when there were only two of us veterinarians,” said Dr. Todd Cooley. “Now there are seven of us, plus all the additional staff, and seeing how the hospital has grown and serve the community has been very fulfilling.”

While Thomasville Animal Hospital is a mixed practice, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Bailey Feinberg and Registered Veterinary Technician Gayle Spelman work mostly with equine patients, as do assistants Amanda Barnes, Lucy Kohler and Bailey Barber. Dr. Jodi D’Amico and Dr. Amy Reeves split their time in the equine department with small animal duties.

“We see all types of horses here and do a bit of everything,” Gayle added. “We’ll treat polo horses, three day eventers, western performance and trail horses all in the same week.”

Dr. Todd Cooley, Thomasville Animal Hospital


The Highest Priority: Customer Service

The staff at Thomasville Animal Hospital are all well aware of the importance of quality care and friendly service to their clients, and it’s at the core of everything they do.

“We all believe in going above and beyond for our clients,” explained Gayle. “Every patient is treated as if they were our own horse, and we give them the same loving attention and care.”

The Thomasville staff explained some of their customers’ challenges that have come up and the work their team has put into helping them out.

“It used to be that if someone lost their certificate, we had to travel back to the office, find their health certificate or Coggins, make a copy and mark it down, then an additional trip to deliver it… it was a nightmare,” Gayle admitted. “Sometimes we had to pull a whole new Coggins for clients who had lost or ruined their final copy.”

Since the staff at Thomasville Animal Hospital began using GVL for digital health certificates and EIA / Coggins tests over 10 years ago, these types of situations are no longer an issue.

“Now if we have a panicked client who is at a show and can’t get in because they lost their certificate, I can email it to them right away, or even send it directly to the show or check station,” said Gayle. “You can imagine how appreciative our clients are when we’re able to help them so quickly and get them everything they need.”

Of course, even though it’s easier than ever to help, the Thomasville staff members still go the extra mile for clients.

“’We’ll actually sometimes email a client their certificate directly from our phones while we’re on vacation,” Gayle added. “That’s how easy it is with GVL, it only takes a minute.”

What’s most important to the staff and doctors at Thomasville Animal Hospital is that they’re not only providing great service and care to their clients, but also value.

“Our clients who do a lot of traveling and showing really see the value of GVL in keeping track of their certificates,” explained Gayle. “And especially for people who have multiple horses, it saves them a lot of time and money.”

In addition to EIA / Coggins tests and health certificates, they have had positive feedback from clients who’ve used Extended Equine Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (EECVIs), which is a newer program from state animal health officials.

“A lot of our clients are really interested in EECVIs and have been requesting them,” Dr. Cooley said. “The new format works really smoothly, and the clients can just log in and enter their trip information as needed.”

On the topic of EECVIs, Gayle added, “Imagine having to pay for separate health papers every time you travel. With EECVIs, you get a six month health certificate for just a few dollars more. And they’re just so easy to do.”


Dr. Cooley says that overall he feels the apps from GVL make life easier for the Thomasville Animal Hospital staff.

“I really like being able to take photos on my phone and send them straight to my account with GVL’s HorseSync app,” explained Dr. Cooley. “I don’t need to be in the office, or even my truck, to be able to get the certificates done.”

He says their clients enjoy how easy it is to have their certificates shared with them online.

“Our clients like GVL’s MyVetLink app because it’s easy to use and they can keep all of their files and records on their phone,” says Dr. Cooley.

The Thomasville team says they often refer their clients to GVL’s customer service if they run into any issues with the software.

“GVL customer service is fantastic. They are so nice and always find a way to help,” Gayle said. “We try hard to provide that same level of care and support to our own clients.”

We are happy to service Thomasville Animal Hospital and look forward to watching their business continue to grow in the coming years. Keep up with the Thomasville Animal Hospital through Facebook and their website.

Gayle Spelman, RVT, Thomasville Animal Hospital