Animal Kingdom
Tonawanda News by Paul Lane January 19, 2005
The moment remains vivid in his mind. William Killewald first met Dr. Keith McBride while earning a Boy Scout merit badge some 45 years ago. When he first saw McBride, a City of Tonawanda veterinarian, he donned an old-school white doctor's coat and stethoscope. "I took one look at him and knew this is it," Killewald said.
The North Tonawanda native never wavered in his dream, going to Cornell to study veterinary medicine after graduating from North Tonawanda High School in 1966. He's now in his 25th year of running his own practice and sees no end in sight for his work with animals.
Killewald, a former Tonawanda News carrier, joined a practice in Kenmore upon his return from college. He decided in the late 1970's to open his own practice, and settled into his Niagara Falls Boulevard location in January 1980.
This spot was picked because Killewald wanted to be close to home. There are no regrets, he said, and no plans to move. "I figured this would be my last location," he said. "It's really a very good place to be."
A tour through the hospital revealed an X-ray machine, an EKG machine and a video otoscope, used to check an animal's inner ear. Walk past the shelves of prescription medicines and surgical kits, and you'll hit the dentistry unit.
Killewald admits he has a tough time keeping up with the technology but finds it useful in caring for animals. He also sees more pet owners using this technology to ensure long lives for their pets. "People 25, 30 years ago thought it was just a pet. You just put it to sleep," said Killewald, who now lives in the City of Tonawanda. "People are paying so much attention to their pets nowadays."
This has translated into a new branch of medicine at the hospital. Killewald has seen pet geriatrics become a vital part of modern animal care. The focus is now on preventative care, he said, as pet owners want to make sure their animals enjoy their golden years. Just like their human counterparts, cats and dogs now undergo blood work, X-rays and chemotherapy during many office visits. "We used to mostly just see fractures and abcesses in the old days," Killewald said.
Anne Kohl has been one of many loyal Killewald patients. The Amherst resident got her first golden retriever in 1990, and took the dog to Killewald based on a recommendation she received. Kohl is now on her third dog, but she is still with her first vet. "I was a brand new person coming to him, and yet that didn't seem to matter." said Kohl, a teacher at Mount St. Mary Academy in the Town of Tonawanda. "What's important (to him) is treating my pet and making sure my companion had the best care available."
Kohl said Killewald shows great concern for his patients. Kohl now owns a female black lab named Hershey, and appreciates that the dog receives the same love from her vet as from her owner. "He's got the knowledge and the expertise, but he also has that compassion to lead you to the right decisions," she said of Killewald.
The clinic has seen second generations of families bring their pets in for care. Killewald appreciates this loyalty, as well as the loyalty his clients have for their pets.
His reward, he said, is making sure those relationships last as long as possible. "Who's the first one to greet you at the door? The dog is always there," he said. "Pets provide what a person's looking for."