Dr. Morris
had a close relationship with the
Seeing
Eye organization, where
in 1939 he diagnosed Buddy II,
a Seeing Eye dog, with kidney failure.
At the
time, there were no therapies for
managing kidney disease in dogs.
Dr. Morris
recognized that protein (nitrogen)
restriction was valuable in preserving
kidney function, and he developed
a diet called “Raritan Ration
C” for
the sickly dog.
As Buddy improved
on the diet, veterinarians got
word of
the success and began to request
more of the diet. The demand was
so high
that it was more than Dr. Morris’ wife,
Louise, could handle. In 1948,
Dr. Morris teamed up with the Hill’s
Packing Company, and thus was born
the first veterinary diet, K/D.
As Dr. Morris’ diet grew
in popularity, he began to donate
a portion of
the proceeds to research studies
for companion animal medicine.
The Morris
Animal Foundation was thus founded,
and continues to be a steady force
in the advancement of companion
animal medicine.
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The
Raritan Animal Hospital was founded
in 1929 by Dr. Mark Morris. Dr. Morris
was
a graduate of Cornell Veterinary
School in 1926. A pioneer in the field
of companion
animal medicine, Dr. Morris was among
the first veterinarians to focus
on bringing biochemical analyses into
clinical practice.
He had one of the only veterinary
clinical pathology laboratories in
the country.
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The
practice was leased by several veterinarians
for years until Dr. Earle Peterson joined
in 1963. At that time, there was a local
funeral home interested in purchasing the
building. Dr. Peterson decided to buy the
practice outright at that time, and with
his help, the practice grew and blossomed.
In 1973, he opened the Piscataway Animal
Clinic located on Stelton Road in Piscataway.
This was the first outpatient clinic associated
with the Raritan Animal Hospital. Dr. Peterson
retired from the practice in 1990.
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In 1981, Dr. Gary Quinn
joined the staff of the veterinary hospital.
Two years later, he became a partner
at the practice, and helped open the
Oak Tree Animal Clinic in North Edison.
Also in 1983, Dr. Chris Laffoon joined
the practice after finishing his veterinary
education at the University of Pennsylvania.
They were joined by Dr. Salatiello in
1985. Together, the three partners opened
the Hopelawn Animal Clinic in Fords,
NJ. |
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The Raritan Animal
Hospital continues to be closely
involved in both the veterinary community
and
the local community. Dr. Laffoon
serves on the State Board of Veterinary
Medical Examiners. Dr. Quinn is involved
as a board member of Central Jersey
Veterinary
Emergency Services. The hospital
continues its relationship with the Edison
Shelter,
offering a free first examination
for newly adopted pets. Members of the
staff
also volunteer at career fairs and
pet expos, teaching people about pet
care.
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