Torrey Pines Animal Hospital expands in Piazza Carmel

For the past four years, Torrey Pines Animal Hospital has become known in the area for its knowledgeable, kind, trustworthy and caring staff. The hospital, owned by Dr. Andrew McClellan and Dr. Brad Steele, operates under the motto that “your pets are our passion” and offers routine vet care, boarding, grooming, surgery, internal medicine and emergency coverage.

The hospital in Piazza Carmel recently finished a complete renovation that nearly doubled the space of its clinic. The expanded hospital features an extra exam room, more boarding facilities and increased treatment and surgery space to accommodate the increased workload.

“We’ve been really busy, which is a great problem to have,” said McClellan.

They now have six dog runs in the back rather than one —”Before it was one Great Dane and we were full” Steele says; and separate “cat condos” in the front of the hospital, where felines can relax and play away from the action in the back of the hospital.

The hospital now has a new surgery suite, extra treatment tables, a separate room for radiology and ultrasounds, and the new grooming tub has a Jacuzzi-like floor for more efficient bathing, complete with a ramp that allows bigger dogs to climb on without techs having to strain their backs.

While the state-of-the-art space is great, where Torrey Pines stands out is in the wealth of experience and quality of care provided by its owners — one client praised McClellan and Steele for saving her dog’s life: “They are the most amazing vets, they are such a Godsend.”

McClellan, a Torrey Pines High graduate, is a familiar vet in Carmel Valley. He worked at Pacific Petcare in Carmel Country Plaza for 11 years before pursuing his own practice with Steele.

Steele has been a practicing veterinarian for 18 years, starting in the Bay Area. He participated in veterinary research projects in Southern Africa, and started his own state-of-the-art animal hospital in Vista in 2002, which he sold in 2005. Wildlife and exotic animal medicine remain an area of interest for Steele and he is known to specialize in birds, reptiles, exotics and “pocket pets,” such as hamsters and Guinea pigs.

McClellan and Steele serve as the main vets at the practice but they also receive help from Dr. Mumtaz Vora and Dr. Briah Tannler.

Torrey Pines Animal Hospital is open seven days a week and is unique in that it offers long appointment slots.

“We have 30-minute appointment times which is significantly longer than the industry standard,” McClellan said. “We want to have plenty of time with the pets and the patients, to make sure we address everything.”

“We want to be the family vet, rather than get patients in and out in an assembly line. We want to get to know people and their pets and establish a relationship,” said Steele, noting clients like seeing the familiar faces of their caring staff, including Sushi the hospital cat who is often perched at the front counter.

At Torrey Pines, the quality of life of the animal is what’s important and its staff will always do what’s in the best interest of the owner and the animal.

Torrey Pines Animal Hospital is located at 3890 Valley Centre Dr. #101 in Piazza Carmel, behind ACE Hardware. For more information call (858) 720-TPAH (8724) or visit torreypinesvets.com.

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