Dr. Ramard Wright is one of few minorities in Veterinary Medicine
By Maricha Harris
Dr. Ramard Wright, DVM
At about five or six years old Dr. Ramard Wright, DVM, had his destiny figured out, and his ambitions would take him places few minorities go—into veterinary medicine. He is one of three or four African American veterinarians that he knows of in Wisconsin.
More than 90 percent of America’s veterinarians are Caucasians, according to Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, with only 2 percent being African American.
“Most intelligent blacks want to be [medical] doctors,” he said. “So they can make a little more,” he added. “If I could do it all over again, I would be a vet. [It’s] rewarding to help out. I had an 80-year-old guy, and his dog was sick. That’s all he has [is his dog]; it’s his world. To be able to help him out was very rewarding.”
Despite the odds, Dr. Wright’s veterinarian passions began to cultivate during childhood as he realized he “loved animals and could handle them well.”
Trips up north with his family played a key role in shaping his passions. “My family had a cottage. I went up there when I was a young lad, and that probably sparked my interest; being able to see all types of wildlife, [and] being able to catch snakes, gut the fish and pretend to hunt deer [was impactful].”
A Riverside University High School graduate, Dr. Wright went on to Tuskegee University but returned to Milwaukee where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004. He went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned his degree of Veterinarian Medicine in 2008.
Dr. Ramard Wright proudly stands outside of his animal hospital where he will be hosting a re-opening and open house on Saturday, July 28, 2012. (Photo by Robert A. Bell)
Over the past 10 years, Dr. Wright has worked in Southeastern Wisconsin in the veterinary field. “I have a lot of experience. I work with all animals; I do exotics. I saw a couple different squirrels. I started at St. Paul, which is an extremely busy place. It’s a walk-in clinic with more of an urban setting, but I wanted to own my own business, so I bought this place.”
In November 2011, Dr. Wright became the proud owner of Brown Deer Animal Hospital, now known as Wright’s Brown Deer Animal Hospital. Located at 8745 N. 51st Street, Wright’s Animal Hospital offers quality veterinary services such as vaccinations and wellness care, diagnostic and medical care, dentistry and surgery, radiology and ultrasound and more.
For more than 30 years the hospital’s staff has offered compassionate care, but under Dr. Wright’s ownership, the hospital brings new meaning— and prices—to the community. “Being Dr. Wright, a guy from the inner city, I don’t have to charge these crazy prices that a lot of vets will charge to do the same thing. I’m more reasonable,” he said.
Dr. Wright loves all aspects of his profession, but a few things stand out. “Every day is a thing. I never know what I’ll get at the start of the day,” he said. “I can help [the community]. I don’t know too many other black vets, so the fact that kids can see a black vet is rewarding.”
Dr. Wright particularly enjoys soft tissue and orthopedic surgery and working with exotics.
In his spare time, Dr. Wright participates in youth mentoring activities, sports and community events. He has two cats (Madison and Clarice) and three dogs (Julio, Ricardo and Bull).
Wright’s Brown Deer Animal Hospital will be hosting a community awareness open house on Saturday, July 28th from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Purposed to raise awareness of new the ownership, the event will feature free food, ponies, farm animals and a clown. Adults, children and pets are encouraged to attend.