Out of the old, into the new

Veteranarian relocates to modern digs next door

SOUTH ELGIN -- Aragon, the Great Dane, has some new space to spread out.

He's the personal dog of South Elgin veterinarian Jean Waldron Churan. Last week, Churan and her staff at the Animal Clinic of South Elgin at 896 N. LaFox St. (Route 31) moved from the location where her practice has been for the past 25 years to a new, state-of-the-art veterinary clinic next door. The new building has three times the space as the one torn down recently, as well as additional exam rooms, storage space and kennels.

Churan, 50, worked with the village for the past two years to tear down old buildings behind her clinic and build the new facility next door. The land lies within South Elgin's tax increment finance district.

"It is a tremendous project. Dr. Churan has done a great job," said Steve Super, director of South Elgin's community development department. "It is one of those projects that will have a significant impact ... on the image of the village. It is a positive thing in these hard times."

She's been contemplating construction for the past 10 years, Churan said this week, attending conferences to learn about what is new and technological advancements in building construction.

The new clinic has energy-efficient lighting. Lights come on when someone enters the room and go off when they leave. Skylights and windows take advantage of natural lighting. The building is separated into several heating and cooling zones, so areas that don't need to be heated on the weekends or at night aren't. Interior walls go all the way to the roof, to keep air handling separated in each of those areas.

Cats have separate quarters from dogs when they need to stay for observation or post-operative recovery, and there is an isolation room for animals that may be contagious. Dogs have a run out back, with skylights during the day and lighting in the evenings.

Churan has been slowly purchasing new equipment for the past three years, so that when the new building was completed, she wouldn't have to finance those items, too.

One of the new amenities is a digital x-ray machine. She can see x-rays immediately now, and can send the images home with the animal's owner. "My daughter broke her foot recently, and I had a better x-ray machine," than the hospital, Churan said.

She's practiced veterinary medicine for the past 25 years and knows that it may seem a little late in her career to open a new building. "This is my mid-life crisis," Churan laughed.

But she knows the old clinic was a bit of an eyesore and hopes a new, state-of-the-art building on Route 31 may motivate other property owners to improve their buildings, too. "It is hard, being the first person to take that step," she added. At the same time, she plans to keep the costs to pet owners low.

"Everybody is careful about spending, but at the same time, I am one of the more affordable in the area. That is my goal. People want to be able to take care of and afford their pets," she said.