Veterinary practices change hands

North Coast veterinarians are passing their pet-care torches to new owners this month as they finalize the separate sales of Cambria Animal Medical Center and Cambria Veterinary Clinic.

All three of the new vets graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Vet Suzy Van Beurden has purchased the Cambria Animal Medical Center, 2501-A Village Lane, from longtime Cambria vet Ennis “Dr. O” Ogarsolka, who is retiring. “Dr. Suzy” had worked at clinics in Cambria and Paso Robles, as well as in Monterey. She took the reins at the clinic on Monday, Jan. 4.

In mid-January, husband-and-wife vets Alex and Casey Erickson will set up shop in their clinic at 1500 Main St., having purchased it from Kevin and Diane Toman, who will devote all their time to their Mission Animal Hospital (near Trader Joe’s) in San Luis Obispo.

Each couple has a young daughter.

Van Beurden/Cambria Animal Medical Center

On Van Beurden’s Facebook page, she describes herself as a “wife, mom, veterinarian, athlete and lover of ocean air, belly laughs, iced coffee and cooking at home.” She is from Warren, Ohio. Besides her UC Davis vet training (a 2004 grad), she also attended Occidental College and International School of Dusseldorf.

The Cambria resident is married to marine biologist Lanz Van Beurden. Suzy Van Beurden said in a phone interview Monday, Jan. 4, that her husband plans to work at home so he can care for young Charlotte Rose, who was born last year. But he’ll also be heavily involved with the clinic he co-owns with his wife, “doing the books and occasionally being my vet tech,” she said.

The family has a boxer (Wally) and two cats named Itchy and Scratchy.

Van Beurden wrote in her New Year’s message to Facebook friends that “I am struck by the realization that life is truly a crazy ride, and sometimes you have to fasten your seatbelt, hold on for dear life and try not to get too carsick.”

Looking back on 2015, she wrote that “there were moments I was sure the wheels were about to fly off … but somehow, we ended up in exactly the right place.” She thanked “all those who have loved us, supported us, made us laugh and wiped away tears” on the Van Beurdens’ journey to their clinic and vet practice in Cambria.

Erickson/Cambria Veterinary Clinic

According to the clinic’s Facebook page, Alex Erickson is a second-generation vet who grew up in the family clinic in Los Banos, where his father, Fred, is in his 40th year as a vet and his mom Linda helps manage the practice. Before attending UC Davis and graduating in 2008, Alex Erickson took undergrad studies at Kansas State University. Since then, he’s worked at a vet clinic in Sonora (on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range).

Casey Erickson grew up in Carlsbad (north San Diego County) as the daughter of a doctor and high school science teacher. Their daughter spent her free time riding and taking care of horses. At Davis, she graduated in 2009 with Phi Zeta honors and received the California Veterinary Medical Association award for practice excellence.

She did her internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, and brought equine care to a call-radius of about 80 miles for the Mono Way Veterinary Hospital in Sonora. For the past three years, she has primarily been treating dogs and cats, and says she looks forward to focusing solely on those species in the Ericksons’ new clinic.

The Ericksons have a cat, two dogs and two horses, and they enjoy gardening, camping, hiking, cooking and socializing with friends. Daughter Nora was born in 2014.

The Ericksons wrote on the clinic’s Facebook page that they look forward to continuing the excellent patient care previously provided by Kevin Toman.

“We are very much looking forward to living and practicing in Cambria, and meeting our clients and patients.”

Diane Toman said Monday, Jan. 4, that she and her husband will continue to own the Cambria property and be the Ericksons’ landlord.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Veterinary practices change hands."