Meet the Staff - Russ Peterson, DVM, MS
I grew up in Santa Barbara and it may not come as any surprise that I became involved in sailing, both teaching & competing in open ocean racing. It was a perfect place to sail but when I could see that sailing didn't have a future, I got serious about school.
I went to Claremont for undergraduate work, Michigan State for graduate work getting an MS in Nutrition and finally to UC Davis where horses and vet medicine became my focus. When I began practicing in 1978, I knew I wanted to have my own practice.
I started Peninsula Equine in the early 80's and realized that the area needed a 24-hr. emergency clinic that also offered "state of the art" diagnostics. At the time, very few practitioners had anything more than a portable x-ray unit and the closest surgery center was UC Davis...a 2 ½ hr drive! It took quite a few years to find a location, sift through the red-tape and navigate the permitting processes, but my dream finally came true and in 1992 the Clinic opened its doors for business.
I guess I'd have to say that one of the best things about my job is having a "state of the art" facility to practice in. Keeping our facility technologically current has always been important to me so we can offer our clients the best diagnostic tools available. The other part of what I really enjoy is the client interactions. We are very lucky to have such an enthusiastic & knowledgeable client base to work with and know that some of our clients have been using our practice for over 20 years is amazing to me!
Now, on a more personal note, when I do have spare time I really enjoy racing cars! I've had several successful seasons and must add that Bayer Animal Health has been a long-time sponsor of STAR Performance Team. I have found that my passion for keeping the horses running during the week is balanced by my passion for keeping my car running on the weekends - both require I stay sharp, stay technologically on top of my game and never forget that in order to do either well, I have to have my heart in it at all times!