While getting ready for church one Sunday, Chuck and Elizabeth McGhee were faced with an emergency.
A frantic client made her own house-call to the veterinarian’s home in Oxford saying her pregnant pygmy goat was having a hard time delivering her babies.
‘So, we were all out there standing in our church clothes,? Elizabeth reminisced. ‘I’m laying on the ground delivering the babies. But, that’s what we do.?
It’s no wonder the McGhees decided to open their own practice.
On October 1 they opened the North Oakland Veterinary Clinic at 340 N. Lapeer Rd., across from the POH Medical Center.
Being ten-year residents of Oxford, the McGhee’s knew they wanted to stay in the community and establish a more permanent place to practice medicine and surgery for cats and dogs.
The McGhees both attended Kansas State University to go to veterinary school in the late 1970s and early 1980s, learning the ins and outs of the field.
Between them, they have five degrees, three doctorates and 17 years of college.
They joke that they have ‘more degrees than a thermometer.?
The couple met when Chuck was teaching a pathology class at KSU. Dr. McGhee had his eye on Elizabeth for almost a year before they started dating.
‘We met over a dead dog, I guess you could say,? Elizabeth said.
They were married in 1980 and had no plans’absolutely no plans on having children.
Twenty-one years later, the McGhees have nine children, ranging in age from five to 21 years old.
‘Once you have your own human with your DNA in your arms, everything changes,? Elizabeth said.
The family has lived in Michigan since 1982, moving frequently from city to city.
Chuck has worked for different practitioners, has performed emergency veterinary work and relief work for the last 28 years, on top of their small house-call practice.
He even spent one and a half years working in Harbor Beach all week, only to come home on the weekends to see the family.
The North Oakland Veterinary Clinic treats all cats and dogs and even offers an on-site groomer so clients can kill two birds with one stone.
No more pygmy goats or farm animals, though.
‘We have enough at home with our own animals,? Chuck said.
When the McGhees aren’t busy homeschooling their children and running their practice, they’re taking care of their horses, sheep, goats, chickens and turkeys’just to name a few.
The family has been active in the Oakland County 4H Club for many years and even sponsored the building of the Miracle of Life barn. Elizabeth is also the leader of the VetScience Club and the Aviation Club for 4H.
Their clinic also helps animals by spaying and neutering dogs for the K-9 Stray Rescue League at a discount price.
With all the children the McGhees have, it’s common to see them at the clinic daily.
The McGhees? eldest daughter, Grace, is the receptionist, while their sons Grant and Clark assist Chuck with some of the animals.
He said the children were helping him out at an early age.
‘They’d either hand me something or hold something for somebody,? Chuck said. ‘They like to help.?
Although it might seem like the McGhees have a family-run clinic on their hands, aviation seems to be the field the McGhee children are gravitating towards.
They frequently take trips to different states in their hard-to-miss purple plane.
With all of his medical experience under his belt, Chuck said the biggest change in the veterinary field he’s seen is the human relationship towards animals.
‘Some people refer to (the veterinary field) as companion animal medicine because the human animal bond has changed so much,? he said.
The clinic hours will be weekdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and 9 a.m.-Noon on Saturdays. Depending on the community’s needs, they may stay open later during the week.
The McGhees are hoping their new clinic will grow as quick as their family did.
‘The community’s growing so much,? Chuck said. ?(Oxford’s) a good place to be.?
Although the McGhees are still waiting for some equipment for the clinic, Elizabeth said they’ll manage to get by.
‘I think we’re doing better than the kitchen counter,? she said.
For more information on the North Oakland Veterinary Clinic contact the McGhees at (248) 628-4130.