Oasis Animal Hospital and Emergency Center in Mauldin is open 365 days a year to care for the medical needs of dogs and cats. But the staff focuses at least as much attention on the owners.
If pet owners are calm, informed, comfortable – and don’t feel judged, rushed or worried about the bill – they can make better decisions about their pet’s health, says Dr. Atticus Mabry, founder and President of Oasis Animal Hospital and Emergency Center.
“I attribute most of our success to the way our staff interacts with clients,” he says. “We have really good people.”
Mabry calls the practice “extremely client-centric.”
“Our focus is the client and meeting the client’s expectations. We have concierge people in our lobby. You’re not trying to talk to someone who’s on the phone. We're focused on you,” he says.
Mabry purchased the practice in 2019 with Dr. Kristin Espinoza, a veterinarian who became CEO of Oasis. “It was like fate because I am from the area,” says Mabry, a Greenville County native.
Though the original owner was a solo practitioner with a tiny staff, the practice grew quickly. Only six months after the purchase, Mabry and Espinoza extended their hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Now, Oasis is open for urgent and emergency care from 8 a.m. to midnight every day of the week, including holidays. General practice, dental and wellness appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The staff of 40 includes doctors, nurses, assistants, client service staff, and groomers. The office is located off Butler Road, at 11 W. Pointe Blvd.
“We got into the ER business because we are locally owned; we thought we could probably provide urgent and emergency care a little more affordably with shorter wait times,” Mabry says.
At the time, there was only one other emergency practice in the area, and it is corporate-owned.
There are now other emergency veterinary providers. But Oasis is the only practice in Greenville County offering general medical and wellness care and emergency services, Mabry says.
“We have two thriving businesses,” he says. “From a revenue perspective and with our huge staff, we can do more procedures during the day and offer more services. It allows us to be pretty successful.”
Mabry says his business partner, Espinoza, created the practice’s dental program. A dental cleaning at Oasis costs $300, which includes X-rays, blood work, a catheter, anesthesia, cleaning, and a consultation with a doctor.
Clients will know in advance if veterinarians find anything more complicated, Mabry says. “You don't get surprises. We go over the treatment plan and tell you exactly what everything is going to cost.”
When it comes to critically ill or injured pets, Oasis may stabilize the animal and transfer it to a hospital with overnight hours or more specialties.
Mabry estimates that 95% of its cases can be managed in-house.
Oasis can perform surgeries and treat traumas. It can perform endoscopies, advanced ultrasound, digital X-rays, and analyze blood work and urine chemistries.
“Pets have become the center of a lot of families. I don’t have children. My pets are my kids,” says Mabry, who shares a golden retriever – Finch – and a Schnoodle – Dulce (a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle) – with his girlfriend, Kate.
“They’re our world, and that's the case for a lot of people,” he says. “For the veterinarian and the staff, the pressure is big. We are the pediatrician or the general practitioner in the lives of people who cherish their pets and want the best for them.”
Even so, becoming a veterinarian was never part of Mabry’s plan. He helped raise cattle and bale hay on his uncle’s farm growing up, but he intended to study architecture and computer science at Clemson University.
Instead, he “stumbled” into Clemson’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences and earned an undergraduate degree in Animal Science. He graduated with a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia in 2015.
Mabry’s first job wasn’t a great fit, he says. And the next had him commuting from Athens, Georgia, to Emerald City Animal Hospital in Greenwood. He moved to Greenville to shorten the drive but stayed with the practice until he bought Oasis.
Mabry made another big jump when he and his real estate broker became friends, started several practices, bought others, and then sold them all to the practitioners.
“At one point, I had over 100 employees in two states,” he says. “Now, I just have this facility, which is wonderful. I have time to make sure this place runs well.”
Local ownership is key, Mabry says. Large corporations and private equity are rolling up an ever-larger share of veterinary practices, locally and nationwide. About a third of all veterinary offices and 75% of veterinary specialties like emergency clinics are owned by entities looking to consolidate practices, according to a study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The expansion of Oasis isn’t entirely complete, however. In December, Oasis will move into a new building at 900 W. Butler Road. The facility will be more than three times larger, with 14 exam rooms and two surgical suites.
Until then – and after – Mabry says his client-centered philosophy won’t change.
Oasis is built on client comfort, client education, and financial transparency, he says. The staff will always explain what the doctor is proposing, how much treatment will cost, and what diagnostic tests mean, he says.
“We always offer the best, highest standard of care to every client. Somebody could tell us, ‘I don't have much money,’ and we'll still give them the opportunity to do the best for their pet,” he says.
“We give you the ideal treatment plan, and you tell us what you can afford. We figure out the best thing we can do for your pet within that budget.”
That doesn’t always ease a client’s anxiety.
“We do not judge people. We don’t know a client’s circumstances. And this pet may be the center of their world,” Mabry says. “It’s on us to educate and be compassionate to every person who walks through the door.”
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