Are go-karts and veterinary medicine related? If asked, most people would probably say, “No, of course not, don’t be absurd. Please stop following me.” But when we asked our veterinary staff what they’d like to do for a fun event, they said “go-kart racing”!

Why Go-Kart Racing?

Clients may not fully grasp the stress and emotional impact our employees endure in their day-to-day working lives. They have urgent care and critical patients to examine, diagnose and treat on a daily basis. To help offset the challenging environment our employees work in and prevent burnout, we look for opportunities to break away from the stress they encounter by offering fun, interactive team building activities.

Big thanks to Brandon “Flat Tire” Labardee and Zoetis Petcare for sponsoring the event!

To help with this, our generous sponsor Zoetis Petcare invited all employees of both Ann Arbor Animal Hospital and our Emergency Service to an evening of fun at JD Racing indoor karting in Novi. There, our speed demons tested their racing skills against each other over multiple heats. They started with a best-average-lap session that rewarded steady, consistent pacing and choosing the best line. Smooth is fast! Then they followed up with a traditional first-to-the-finish race, which was hotly contested but yielded three clear winners. Things concluded with an awards ceremony for the podium finishers, giving one last chance to trash talk their competitors.

Our racers went at whatever pace they were comfortable with—from “Speed Racer” to “Sunday Driver”—but everyone who attended, fastest to slowest, had a blast. Hospital Director David Caddell said, “I’ve never seen these folks smile so much!”

We greatly appreciate the effort our employees put forth each and every shift. They constantly strive to provide the highest quality pet care, living by our slogan “Always Here, Always Ready, Always Caring.”

Finally, a huge thank you to Zoetis for sponsoring a fantastic and fun-filled night of racing!

Watch the podium awards interviews