Afternoon sunlight floods the cheerful interior of Pets4Life, Highland Park’s new full-service veterinary hospital and pet care facility. The door opens and a customer, spotting owners Greg Gibson and Meg Gibson Revord, relaxes into a lively chat—the kind of banter between longtime acquaintances that has become part of the town’s culture. North Shore for decades.
Siblings Greg and Meg grew up on the North Shore in a family home full of pets. There are “dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, and even a parrot!” said Meg, describing the menagerie. “We’ve always loved animals.”
That the sibling team will launch Pets4Life after a successful career in other arenas, goes back to their undying love for animals.
“We both felt that a more holistic approach to animal care was definitely needed,” says Meg, whose current list of household pets includes two rescue Siberian huskies, two cats, and more. to come “For several years I have been thinking about what my next career chapter will be, after 35 years of practicing law. Greg is also looking for his next challenge, after working in real estate, private equity, and running other small businesses. This venture seemed like the right move for both of us.”
As a one-stop-shop, Pet4Life fills the gap that Gibson and Revord saw in the pet care sector.
“Our entire business model is centered around veterinarians and their staff and their years of expertise in animal care. Here, veterinarians provide input and expertise in all aspects of animal care. pets,” Gibson explained. We also provide pet training and will soon offer day care services for owners and their pets.
With two veterinarians, two veterinary technicians, and a pet grooming and spa care expert, the business is well-staffed to provide the attention and care needed for this wide range of services. This includes everything from comprehensive pet physical exams and vaccinations for new puppies and kittens to pet spa and salon services such as full body haircuts, baths, nail trimming, ear cleaning , brushing teeth, brushing hair, sanitary trims, and the “bow on top”—a scarf and spritz of cologne.
A full list of more intensive veterinary hospital procedures is also provided, as well as emergency pet care during business hours. While the training is currently focused on cats and dogs, Gibson and Revord said it could expand to include other species of pets in the future. And once the Highland Park facility is up and running, the team plans to open Pets4Life locations in other communities.
“We love being located in this vibrant, pet-friendly retail community,” Revord said. “Central Avenue in Highland Park is the perfect, convenient place for residents to bring their pets for all their pet care needs.”
Enhancing the educational aspect of their mission, the Pets4Life website blog features fresh content created in collaboration with vets, groomers, and trainers.
“We do research to provide articles on issues that are most important, timely, or overlooked before sharing information with our clients, and so far, the feedback has been great,” Revord said.
Adding fun to the educational equation, Pets4Life hosts family-friendly, pet-focused events every month. Its gathering at the Iditarod last month, featuring Siberian huskies and stories of the famous race they run, was well attended. Orphans of the Storm is coming in May with pets available for adoption. And in August, Leader Dogs for the Blind will be at Pets4Life with their trainers, dogs and “puppy pals”—puppy trainers in the Chicago area.
“It was great to see the community come with their children to learn more about the animals and have the opportunity to meet our veterinarians and groomers and tour the facility,” said Revord.
Many were surprised by its size and scope. A state-of-the-art animal hospital with exam rooms and surgical arena in the back, cozy retail space in the front and dog training, spa and salon on the lower level, Pets4Life was designed by Santini Studio.
“The goal is to create a best-in-class care facility that pet owners want to go to for everything related to their pets,” added Gibson. “Our design and construction team did an amazing job, we’re very happy with the result, and we welcome more pet lovers in the community to come see it for themselves.”
For more information on Pets4Life services and upcoming events, visit pets4.com.
