Celebrating A Family Legacy Of 90 Years In Veterinary Medicine
By Roberta Cannon
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A recent celebration at the Leach Animal Hospital on Main Street in Mashpee, north of Great Oak Road North, not only highlighted the career of Dr. Jonathan Leach, who opened the clinic in 2000, but also the family legacy of his father, Dr. Daniel Leach, and uncle, Dr. James Leach, who were the first veterinarians on Cape Cod.
The event was attended by many clients and staff who came to honor and thank Dr. Leach for his hard work and dedication to the Mashpee community.
Dr. James Leach practiced in a white farmhouse set on Fort Hill. Pet owners would walk up the few wooden steps into a room on the side of the house. Barking and meowing would greet them as other pets waited their turn for their checkups.
The Dr. Leach I met in my childhood was related to Dr. Jonathan Leach.
“He was my uncle—Dr. James Leach—and I visited him all the time,” said Dr. Leach. “It was like going to Nebraska because it took so long to get there from West Barnstable. There was no Cape Cod Highway and we had to travel on Route 6A. He had two horses I used to ride down over the big open field down to the water.”
James Leach later moved his practice to State Highway in Eastham: it is now the Eastham Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Leach’s father, Daniel, was the older brother of Dr. James Leach. Daniel Leach began practicing veterinary medicine in 1933 in Centerville and bought a property for his practice in 1936.
“My father purchased the West Barnstable property where the Cape Cod Animal Hospital now stands,” said Dr. Leach. “He bought it with a $300 downpayment.”
In addition to his veterinarian practice, his father was an avid horseback rider and competed in pair jumping. He also raised racehorses and co-founded the Cape Cod Kennel Club.
“In those days, the only dog owners who brought their dogs to the veterinarian were breeders,” said Dr. Leach. “Much of the practice was caring for horses and cows.”
There were many dairy farmers in the area, including his father, who owned 40 head of Jersey cows. These farms were along Route 6A, from Sandwich down to Orleans. Cows need to drink a lot of water and the abundance of kettle ponds along that route fulfilled that need, Dr. Leach said.
Dr. Leach attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He was 27 years old when he was accepted into the program.
“There were only 18 veterinary schools in the United States back then,” said Dr. Leach. “It was so competitive to get in. Each year only two students from Massachusetts would be accepted—one to the Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and one to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. It took several application attempts to get in, and everyone in my class was around my age for that reason.”
He graduated in 1981 and began practicing by caring for large and small animals. He also took care of some racehorses at the former Foxboro Raceway.
“One of the many highlights of my career was taking care of a racehorse named Fight Over that ran in the Kentucky Derby,” said Dr. Leach. “The horse was a long shot at 88/1 and he placed seventh. He was in the lead coming through the back stretch, but was beaten by a horse named Swale. Fight Over went on to place third in the Preakness Stakes. It was one of the most exciting times in my life.”
After the Kentucky Derby, Dr. Leach had a mixed practice of small animals and horses covering the Cape. After opening Leach Animal Hospital in Mashpee in 2000, he returned to small animal practice.
“I miss the large animal practice, but that kind of practice and working with horses is a very physical practice,” said Dr. Leach. “There are many calls in the middle of the night, and I don’t have the energy or stamina to be up all night on a call anymore.”
He continues to work three to four days a week, which includes two days of performing a specialty surgery called tightrope cruciate fixation that repairs the cruciate ligament, or ACL, a common injury among dogs.
Dr. Leach said he does not have any plans to retire.
He said there are many highlights of his career, including his graduation from veterinary school and applying all that he learned to take care of animals. He especially enjoys the work he does at the office every day as well as educating pet owners about their animals.
“I love coming to work because there is always another highlight in my career waiting for me,” said Dr. Leach. “It is especially rewarding for me when I can help an animal in an emergency or relieve their pain. Seeing them get better makes my day.”
Dr. Leach’s practice reflects 90 years of a family legacy and the type of care he has always instilled in his relationship with his staff, colleagues and clients.
“I have been a veterinarian for 27 years,” said Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, who practices at Leach Animal Hospital. “Working with Dr. Leach is the highlight of my career. I am so glad I found his practice and while I recommend him as a veterinarian, he is also an excellent colleague and mentor.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Leach for more than 10 years,” said Dr. Brianna Daley. “I began working with him as a student when I was applying to vet school and continued to work as a veterinary tech all through school. Now, I have the honor of working as a veterinarian alongside Dr. Leach and the Leach Animal Hospital team. Not many people get the opportunity to work with their mentor, and I feel very lucky to learn from Dr. Leach day in and day out.”
“The most important thing a graduate veterinarian looks for in their career is mentorship,” said Dr. Ross Beirne. “I believe the mentorship I receive with Dr. Leach and the team he has assembled is second to none. As a teacher, a veterinarian and a friend, I could not have found myself in a better situation than working with Dr. Leach.”
“Dr. Leach has a wonderful and rare combination of intelligence, instinct and kindness,” said Dr. Brianna Gilman. “Working with him makes me a better veterinarian, and I am so grateful.”
Lindsay Hirt, a Leach Animal Hospital practice manager and staff member, has worked with Dr. Leach for 17 years. “Now more than ever, people value their relationships with their animals,” she said. “When you create a relationship with a person who cares for your animals in a way Dr. Leach and his staff do, it is something to be proud of.”
Originally published by The Mashpee Enterprise -Dec 27, 2023
The event was attended by many clients and staff who came to honor and thank Dr. Leach for his hard work and dedication to the Mashpee community.
Dr. James Leach practiced in a white farmhouse set on Fort Hill. Pet owners would walk up the few wooden steps into a room on the side of the house. Barking and meowing would greet them as other pets waited their turn for their checkups.
The Dr. Leach I met in my childhood was related to Dr. Jonathan Leach.
“He was my uncle—Dr. James Leach—and I visited him all the time,” said Dr. Leach. “It was like going to Nebraska because it took so long to get there from West Barnstable. There was no Cape Cod Highway and we had to travel on Route 6A. He had two horses I used to ride down over the big open field down to the water.”
James Leach later moved his practice to State Highway in Eastham: it is now the Eastham Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Leach’s father, Daniel, was the older brother of Dr. James Leach. Daniel Leach began practicing veterinary medicine in 1933 in Centerville and bought a property for his practice in 1936.
“My father purchased the West Barnstable property where the Cape Cod Animal Hospital now stands,” said Dr. Leach. “He bought it with a $300 downpayment.”
In addition to his veterinarian practice, his father was an avid horseback rider and competed in pair jumping. He also raised racehorses and co-founded the Cape Cod Kennel Club.
“In those days, the only dog owners who brought their dogs to the veterinarian were breeders,” said Dr. Leach. “Much of the practice was caring for horses and cows.”
There were many dairy farmers in the area, including his father, who owned 40 head of Jersey cows. These farms were along Route 6A, from Sandwich down to Orleans. Cows need to drink a lot of water and the abundance of kettle ponds along that route fulfilled that need, Dr. Leach said.
Dr. Leach attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He was 27 years old when he was accepted into the program.
“There were only 18 veterinary schools in the United States back then,” said Dr. Leach. “It was so competitive to get in. Each year only two students from Massachusetts would be accepted—one to the Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and one to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. It took several application attempts to get in, and everyone in my class was around my age for that reason.”
He graduated in 1981 and began practicing by caring for large and small animals. He also took care of some racehorses at the former Foxboro Raceway.
“One of the many highlights of my career was taking care of a racehorse named Fight Over that ran in the Kentucky Derby,” said Dr. Leach. “The horse was a long shot at 88/1 and he placed seventh. He was in the lead coming through the back stretch, but was beaten by a horse named Swale. Fight Over went on to place third in the Preakness Stakes. It was one of the most exciting times in my life.”
After the Kentucky Derby, Dr. Leach had a mixed practice of small animals and horses covering the Cape. After opening Leach Animal Hospital in Mashpee in 2000, he returned to small animal practice.
“I miss the large animal practice, but that kind of practice and working with horses is a very physical practice,” said Dr. Leach. “There are many calls in the middle of the night, and I don’t have the energy or stamina to be up all night on a call anymore.”
He continues to work three to four days a week, which includes two days of performing a specialty surgery called tightrope cruciate fixation that repairs the cruciate ligament, or ACL, a common injury among dogs.
Dr. Leach said he does not have any plans to retire.
He said there are many highlights of his career, including his graduation from veterinary school and applying all that he learned to take care of animals. He especially enjoys the work he does at the office every day as well as educating pet owners about their animals.
“I love coming to work because there is always another highlight in my career waiting for me,” said Dr. Leach. “It is especially rewarding for me when I can help an animal in an emergency or relieve their pain. Seeing them get better makes my day.”
Dr. Leach’s practice reflects 90 years of a family legacy and the type of care he has always instilled in his relationship with his staff, colleagues and clients.
“I have been a veterinarian for 27 years,” said Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, who practices at Leach Animal Hospital. “Working with Dr. Leach is the highlight of my career. I am so glad I found his practice and while I recommend him as a veterinarian, he is also an excellent colleague and mentor.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Leach for more than 10 years,” said Dr. Brianna Daley. “I began working with him as a student when I was applying to vet school and continued to work as a veterinary tech all through school. Now, I have the honor of working as a veterinarian alongside Dr. Leach and the Leach Animal Hospital team. Not many people get the opportunity to work with their mentor, and I feel very lucky to learn from Dr. Leach day in and day out.”
“The most important thing a graduate veterinarian looks for in their career is mentorship,” said Dr. Ross Beirne. “I believe the mentorship I receive with Dr. Leach and the team he has assembled is second to none. As a teacher, a veterinarian and a friend, I could not have found myself in a better situation than working with Dr. Leach.”
“Dr. Leach has a wonderful and rare combination of intelligence, instinct and kindness,” said Dr. Brianna Gilman. “Working with him makes me a better veterinarian, and I am so grateful.”
Lindsay Hirt, a Leach Animal Hospital practice manager and staff member, has worked with Dr. Leach for 17 years. “Now more than ever, people value their relationships with their animals,” she said. “When you create a relationship with a person who cares for your animals in a way Dr. Leach and his staff do, it is something to be proud of.”
Originally published by The Mashpee Enterprise -Dec 27, 2023