Frederick Road Veterinary Hospital Will Open Next Week

For Lisa and Daniel Zakai, the idea of walking to work from their home in Catonsville was so enticing that when the building at 816 Frederick Road came up for sale, they worked hard to purchase the building.

Less than six months after they purchased the building, right in the heart of downtown Catonsville, the couple is opening a veterinary hospital together.

"We really wanted to stay in our neighborhood," Lisa Zakai said on Monday, while giving a quick tour of the 6,200-square-foot building. The couple had been looking to open a practice together, but had considered buying an existing hospital first.

When they found that the old rehab center building on Frederick Road was up for sale, they knew this was the building to start a practice from scratch. Frederick Road Veterinary Hospital will open on August 15.

While the front of the building is on Frederick Road, the practice's main entrance will be on Egges Lane around the back of the building; the couple didn't want pets entering the building so close to the main street. Instead, they are renting out the front space to someone else.

The building has been gutted and renovated to include some green building features, including a white roof that will absorb less heat and a paper-less practice. They will also have new radiology equipment and dental services.

"Anything that is state-of-the-art we are going to have," Lisa Zakai said.

While the main entrance won't be on Frederick Road, the couple still hopes the back lot will be a hub for the community. The lot is typically full on and the Zakais would like to host movie nights next summer and other events.

The hospital will be open on Aug. 15 for appointments and will host an open house at a later date for people to come and see the building.