Long before she earned her DVM degree in 1970, Dr. Gail S. Wolfe knew veterinary medicine was where she belonged.

“I had a love for animals right away, and I always loved medicine,” she says. “Every aptitude test I took said I should be a vet, so I knew from the beginning.”

That early passion carried her through the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she excelled academically and received the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association’s award for Highest Scholastic Standing. Those formative years set the foundation for a career spanning more than five decades—one rooted in compassionate care, education, and service to both animals and people.

After graduation, Wolfe chose a path that would shape not only her career but her lifestyle: opening her own private practice out of her home. Bennett Road Animal Clinic quickly became a place of community—a warm, welcoming extension of her family.

“My practice is in my house, and I live upstairs,” says Wolfe. “We try to treat people and their pets like family. I’m very thorough and like to take my time with each patient. I’d rather have a few quality interactions than a big quantity practice. We don’t want to rush people in and out.”

That philosophy, paired with her steady presence, has kept her practice thriving for more than 54 years. Having her own practice has also given her flexibility. “One reason that I’ve been at it for so long is that I have my own hours,” she says. “It’s been easier compared to the burnout that can come with 12-hour days, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.”

In addition to running her practice, Wolfe has dedicated herself to educating future veterinarians and the public. She facilitated MSU’s Veterinary Instructional and Professional Skills (VIPS) class, where community veterinarians guided students through case studies.

“We would lead them from the history all the way to treatment,” says Wolfe. “The classes were small, around 10 students, so we were mostly a guide to make sure they were on the right track.”

Her impact extended beyond campus, too. For nine years, Wolfe organized People, Pets, and Vets, a hands-on public education program hosted in a local school. Families could visit booths to learn about animals and veterinary medicine, and children participated in a “teddy bear clinic,” where vet students sewed up worn stuffed animals.

“It became really popular,” she recalls. “By the end, we had about 40 booths and nearly 1,000 people attending. I think it encouraged kids to become veterinarians.”

Wolfe’s dedication has also earned her recognition. She has been voted “Favorite Veterinarian” by her community multiple times and was honored with the James Herriot Humanitarian Award by Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter.

“That was because I was taking care of animals they found injured on the road until they located the owner,” she says. “I would take care of them in emergencies. Now, with the Humane Society, I do free exams for newly adopted pets to encourage people to adopt shelter animals."

She also volunteered at nursing homes, bringing her own pets to visit residents — a simple gesture that provided comfort and connection.

Despite the challenges, Wolfe has remained steadfast in her commitment to her patients and community. She finds joy in the variety her work offers and the relationships she has built along the way.

“Just the variety—that’s been the most rewarding part,” she says. “I enjoy talking to people and meeting new people. You can’t please everybody, but I like the challenge.”

Her advice to those considering veterinary medicine is simple but profound: gain real experience. “I allow observers and volunteers to watch what I do because I don’t want someone to go into veterinary medicine thinking it’s one thing and find out it’s something else,” she says. Wolfe also encourages students to consider the independence that owning a practice can offer. “You can set your own hours, practice the medicine you want to practice, and you're free from corporate directives. I’ve been very happy in private practice all these years.”

From her award-winning academic years at MSU to a lifetime of practice, teaching, and community service, Wolfe’s journey is one of resilience, independence, and compassion. For 54 years, she has embodied the values of veterinary medicine, caring not just for animals, but for the people who love them.

And though she jokes that she is “ready to sell” her practice if the right person comes along, her legacy is already secured in the countless students she has mentored, the families she has helped, and the pets she has healed.