Photo courtesy of Scott Foster.
Dr. Scott Foster with wife Virginia and son Granger and their Australian shepherds, Annie and Terra. The Fosters are opening a new veterinary clinic, the Constant Companion Animal Hospital, in The Narrows.
Dr. Scott Foster has had a plan to open his own veterinary practice for years.
The Samford graduate and Homewood resident attended the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where he met his wife Virginia. After graduation, the couple moved back to the area around five years ago.
While Virginia works at a veterinary clinic in Gardendale, Foster has been working at several different vet locations in Hoover, Trussville and downtown since returning to Birmingham. He said he started to get business plans together about two to three years ago and found a great location on the U.S. 280 corridor in The Narrows.
“My boss lives down County Road 41, and we go down to Dunnavant Valley trail and go hiking with our dogs,” Foster said. “My real estate agent saw a piece of property, and everything lined up. I’m excited to open in that area, and there’s a need for a vet.”
There are other vet clinics at the bottom of Double Oak Mountain and in Chelsea, but none in the gap between. Foster said he believes that location-wise, it will be a good spot for a clinic.
Chelsea’s blowing up, [Shelby County] 41 is blowing up, and I think as far as a vet clinic goes, it should be a good location.”
Constant Companion Animal Hospital was scheduled to open in mid-July. After initially hoping to open in January or February of this year, pandemic-related construction delays pushed that back several months.
Foster will be the only vet when the clinic opens, but he plans to not be the only one for long and hopes it will grow quickly. Initially, there will be two receptionists, two vet technicians and a kennel technician/floater. The clinic will see both cats and dogs.
The clinic will be open Monday through Friday but closed on weekends. Foster said he has a 14-month-old son and wants to keep his weekends open for family time. He said he was nervous about his decision to be closed on Saturdays, but said he knows that if he takes care of his staff and business, the rest will take care of itself.
Constant Companion Animal Hospital will offer wellness and prevention; vaccinations; emergencies and urgent care; diagnostics and imaging; surgery; dental care; and dermatology services.
Constant Companion Animal Hospital
► Phone: 205-635-0313
► Address: 150 Narrows Drive, Birmingham, 35242
► Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
► Website: constantcompanionvet.com
One thing Foster plans to offer that many vets don’t is a wellness plan. This will bundle animal care needed throughout the year and offer affordable monthly payments, as well as a discount on services that are not covered.
“Vet medicine is crazy expensive. This will take care of all the things your dog may need,” Foster said. “This will include annual shots, heartworm treatment, fecal testing and one dental treatment. It allows you to do everything for your animal and pay for it over 12 months and be offered as a monthly payment system. The animal is going to get everything they need.”
Services will also be available for emergencies and urgent care, and Foster will offer ultrasounds and digital X-rays. Regarding surgeries, Foster said if it is something he is comfortable performing, he will do the procedure; if not, he will refer patients to a vet who specializes in it.
“I push the best medicine when I think it's appropriate. I refer out, but I also do a fair number of procedures many vets don't do,” he said.
He thinks there is a possibility he and his family will move down the U.S. 280 corridor, but said they love Homewood, too.
“Right now, we have no intention of moving, but I could see it in a few years, potentially.”
