08/27/2025
From Dr Tharp - Considering the name change and the questions whether I have sold my practice and if I have retired, this letter was sent out earlier but might not have been received by all of our loyal clientele. I just want to make sure after all of these wonderful years, that I am transparent with each of you and this letter will help you see why I am cutting back. I also want to thank you all for your many years of entrusting me with the care of your pets both large and small. With the sale, the name has changed, but you should receive the same standard of care as when I was the owner. As I have written in my letter I included below, with the continuation of experienced veterinarians and our staff, the practice will continue to offer the same services with the same excellent care that you have been given over the years.
Thomas Tharp, DVM
Tharp Animal Health Center
391 Marietta Road
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
August 1, 2025
To Our Valued Clients and Friends,
After more than 45 years of practicing veterinary medicine, I am writing to share some personal and professional news about a new chapter in my life and career. While I will continue to see patients and remain a part of the team at Tharp Animal Health Care Center, I have recently reduced my work hours to spend more time with my wife Judy, our friends, family, and especially our grandchildren.
This decision did not come lightly. Caring for your pets and getting to know so many of you over the years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Since graduating from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1980 and opening Tharp Animal Health Care Center in 1983, much of my life revolved around the care of providing veterinary medicine to all animals, much like James Herriot’s, All Creatures Great and Small. However, in time I found the need to focus more on people’s pets as the pet industry continued to grow and the need for veterinary care became more urgent with the demand for availability. As a result, our veterinary practice has become busier and with the need to reduce my work hours, I felt led to take advantage of an opportunity that would allow our doors to never close but be able to continue the quality of service our clients have come to expect and whose pets depend on us.
In the summer of 2022, Petland Corporation with President and CEO Joe Watson, approached me about a new initiative: Petland Health and Wellness (PHW). My relationship with Petland has been strong having served as the contracted veterinarian for Petland’s Chillicothe Bridge Street store. With Petland Corporation’s dedication to the animal industry and their care and compassion for animal welfare and the human bond, after thoughtful conversations, it became clear to my wife Judy and me that this was the right path to secure the clinic’s future. We made the decision to sell the veterinary practice to Petland Health and Wellness in March 2023. Under the agreement, we formed a partnership to help in the transition with us maintaining our positions with Judy as Director of Operations and Business and I as Medical Director of Tharp Animal Health Care Center working closely with PHW. This partnership was formed thoughtfully and with a great deal of care for the future of our clinic. We wanted to insure the long-term success of the practice, knowing that we would eventually step back from daily operations.
Due to my new part-time schedule, there may be visits when you don’t see me in the exam room. But please rest assured: your pets are in the most capable and caring hands. I have complete confidence in the veterinary team we have built in recent years. These are exciting times for Tharp Animal Health Care Center having welcomed additional veterinary professionals to our team. Doctors Rebecca Atwood, Sarah Hettinger, and Dennis Wilcox bring outstanding medical knowledge, deep compassion, and a true dedication to each patient they meet. I trust them completely, and you can too.
I also want to share that the next step in this evolution is a change in name. Soon, Tharp Animal Health Center will become Animal Health Care Center of Chillicothe. While the name will change, our values, our high standards of care, and our commitment to you and your pets remain unchanged.
Genuinely caring for our clients and enjoying the interactions with you and your pets, I have never felt ready to retire. I am thankful for Petland Health and Wellness with this opportunity as it is giving me the ability to continue practicing the profession I love, though on a more limited scale. With the continuation of experienced veterinarians and our staff, the practice will continue to offer the same services with the same excellent care that you have been given over the years. This transition will bring exciting new opportunities for improvements and will allow the practice to continue to enhance the level of care provided. We are forever committed to maintaining the veterinary medical mission to be a trusted leader in protecting, promoting and advancing a strong, unified veterinary profession that meets the needs of our community and to improve on the animal health and human bond.
On behalf of Judy, our team, and myself, thank you for your unwavering support, continued trust and friendship, and for allowing us to be part of your pet’s journey. It is a joy for me to serve you, and I look forward to seeing many of you though on a more limited schedule, and to watching this wonderful team carry forward the mission we started more than four decades ago. My wife Judy and I wish each of you and your pets the best in health and happiness.
With sincere appreciation,
Thomas Tharp, DVM
Tharp Animal Health Center
