New veterinary surgeon joins staff at Pine Island Animal Clinic
Dr. Brian Steely is the newest addition to the Pine Island Animal Clinic. Having been in Punta Gorda, he says when the opportunity arose to practice veterinary surgery on Pine Island, he took it. He became a veterinary surgeon in 2010 and moved to Florida soon after.
“All my family had trickled down here,” said Steely. “My dad lives in Key West, and my brother is a doctor who practiced in Orlando. Now he’s a Navy doctor.”
Steely, who recently got married, said he wouldn’t mind moving to Pine Island to start a whole new life. Since he does not care for cold weather, he went to vet school in the Caribbean and when the opportunity presented itself to come down to Florida, that’s what he did.
Originally a music major, Steely says music was just always for him, although he wanted to be a vet, even as a child. Knowing one day he would have his own cattle, he said he took a class in college where he worked on a cattle farm, which re-ignited the spark he had to become a vet.
“I changed my major, and several years later, now I’m here,” said Steely. “I love it here, I like the island life. The people are great and all the clients I’ve met so far are really nice people who care about their animals.”
He went on to say, “I don’t rush, I would rather spend time talking to people. Being a vet helps me do the two things I like most — working with people and helping animals. I enjoy getting up and going to work. The one thing about being a vet is it’s never dull. If I have to get up and go to work at least I’m going to enjoy doing it.
“I look forward to helping everybody and getting to know people,” he added. “Anywhere I’ve practiced there’s always been a community of people that you see all the time — through good times and at times when, unfortunately, you have to put an animal to sleep, and it brings the relationship full circle. I’m looking forward to getting to know the people in the community and being as much of a help to them as I can.”