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Summit Dog & Cat Hospital is a family owned and operated veterinary hospital in Summit, New Jersey, with deep roots in the local community.
Our history is an important part of who we are. Long before veterinary medicine had today’s advanced diagnostic equipment, surgical techniques, laboratory testing, imaging, and medications, local veterinarians were caring for the dogs, cats, and families of Summit.
The documented history of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital begins with Dr. Joseph B. Engle, DVM, and continues through generations of veterinary professionals, including Dr. James M. Dorney, DVM, who became associated with the hospital in 1964 and later became an owner.
We are continuing to research and preserve our historical records so that the story of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital can be accurately documented for future generations.
Milestones
Dates below reflect what can be supported by historical documentation.
Dr. Joseph B. Engle, DVM, a Cornell University graduate, opens Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in March 1926 after establishing his veterinary practice in Summit.
Summit Herald historical photographs show Summit Dog and Cat Hospital as it appeared in 1928, and again after subsequent expansion.
During a rabies outbreak, Dr. Engle communicates with Summit officials about rabies cases in the city and the importance of vaccination.
The Summit Herald identifies Dr. Joseph B. Engle as the veterinarian and proprietor of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital, reporting on the hospital’s staff and its continuing role in the community.
Dr. James M. Dorney, DVM, a Cornell University graduate, becomes associated with Dr. Engle at Summit Dog and Cat Hospital.
A Summit Herald feature marks Dr. Engle’s 50 years of veterinary service and documents the hospital’s development, including historical photographs.
The hospital states that it has been family owned and operated since 1980 by the Dorney family.
Summit Dog & Cat Hospital continues as a family owned and operated veterinary hospital serving dogs, cats, and their families in Summit, New Jersey.
The veterinarians
Historical records identify Dr. Joseph B. Engle, DVM, as the founder of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital. According to a 1971 Summit Herald article, Dr. Engle opened Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in March 1926 after establishing his veterinary practice in Summit. The article describes Dr. Engle as a Cornell University graduate and a prominent member of the Summit veterinary community.
A detailed 1978 Summit Herald article marking Dr. Engle’s 50 years of veterinary service provides additional information about the early history of the hospital. It describes the hospital’s early location and development and includes historical photographs of Summit Dog and Cat Hospital.
Dr. Engle’s career extended beyond the hospital itself. Historical records note his involvement in veterinary professional organizations and community service, including leadership positions in veterinary medicine and service with the Morris Animal Foundation, Cornell University Council, and Summit Rotary Club.
His work established the foundation for a veterinary practice that would remain connected to the Summit community for generations.
Another important chapter in the history of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital began with Dr. James M. Dorney, DVM.
Dr. Dorney was a Cornell University graduate and became associated with Dr. Engle at Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in 1964. This relationship is documented in a 1971 Summit Herald article, which identifies Dr. Dorney as part of the Summit veterinary community and as Dr. Engle’s associate at the hospital.
Dr. Dorney’s connection with Summit Dog & Cat Hospital therefore began decades ago, during a period when veterinary medicine was rapidly developing and the hospital was continuing to grow.
Historical records subsequently document Dr. Dorney as the sole owner of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital. Dr. Dorney’s long association with the hospital represents an important continuation of the veterinary practice established by Dr. Engle.
The early history of the hospital reflects how dramatically veterinary medicine has changed. The 1978 Summit Herald history of Dr. Engle describes the hospital as it appeared in its early years and documents its growth as veterinary medicine developed. The newspaper’s historical photographs show Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in 1928 and again after subsequent expansion.
Historical newspaper records also document Dr. Engle’s role in caring for animals and addressing important public-health issues in Summit. During a 1946 rabies outbreak, for example, Dr. Engle communicated with Summit officials about rabies cases in the city and the importance of vaccination.
In 1948, the Summit Herald identified Dr. Joseph B. Engle as the veterinarian and proprietor of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital and reported on the hospital’s veterinary staff and continuing role in the community.
These historical records provide a firsthand connection to the hospital’s role in Summit during the early and middle decades of the twentieth century.
Then and now
Veterinary medicine has changed enormously since Summit Dog & Cat Hospital’s early years. The medications and diagnostic tools available to veterinarians in the 1920s and 1930s were very different from those available today. The 1978 Summit Herald article documenting Dr. Engle’s 50 years of practice specifically reflects on the dramatic changes in veterinary medications and medical care during his career.
Today, Summit Dog & Cat Hospital provides comprehensive veterinary care for dogs and cats, incorporating modern veterinary medicine with the personal approach of a local, family owned practice. Our veterinary services include:
Our goal is to provide the veterinary care pets need under one roof, while maintaining the personal attention that comes from being a local, family owned and operated hospital.
Summit Dog & Cat Hospital remains a family owned and operated veterinary hospital rather than a corporate veterinary chain.
The hospital currently states that it has been family owned and operated since 1980 by the Dorney family.
For us, family ownership is more than a description of our business structure. It reflects our commitment to maintaining personal relationships with our clients, knowing our patients, and remaining connected to the community we have served for generations.
Our location at 16 Morris Turnpike in Summit, New Jersey, connects today’s Summit Dog & Cat Hospital with a long history of veterinary care in the community.
Over the years, veterinary medicine has evolved, the hospital has changed, and generations of veterinarians and veterinary professionals have contributed to its story. What has remained constant is the importance of caring for local pets and the families who love them.
Today, we welcome families from Summit and surrounding communities including Short Hills, Millburn, Chatham, Madison, Westfield, Springfield, Union, and surrounding New Jersey communities.
Our connection to the community extends beyond routine veterinary appointments. Summit Dog & Cat Hospital has worked with animal rescue organizations and community partners to provide veterinary care for pets in need. Our veterinary services for rescue animals can include wellness examinations, spay and neuter procedures, TNR, dental care, surgery, boarding, and other necessary veterinary care.
Community involvement is another way we continue the tradition of being a local veterinary hospital rather than simply a place where appointments take place.
We believe the history of a veterinary hospital should be based on documentation, historical records, and firsthand evidence.
We are continuing to research and preserve photographs, newspaper articles, archival records, directories, and other historical materials relating to Summit Dog & Cat Hospital and veterinary medicine in Summit. As additional historical information is verified, we will continue adding it to this page.
We also recognize that some historical dates and details found in modern sources do not always match the dates documented in individual historical records. Rather than present uncertain information as fact, we are committed to identifying what can be supported by historical documentation.
In the news
Alongside the archival records below, local press continues to document the hospital’s work in the community.
Local coverage of the hospital’s work with rescue organizations and its veterinary support for veterans and their pets.
Documentation
The historical information on this page has been researched using archival and historical sources, including the Summit Herald digital newspaper archives and Cornell University historical and alumni records.
Historical article documenting Dr. Joseph B. Engle, the founding of Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in March 1926, and Dr. James M. Dorney’s association with Dr. Engle at the hospital beginning in 1964.
Historical feature documenting Dr. Engle’s 50 years of veterinary service and the development of Summit Dog and Cat Hospital, including historical photographs of the hospital.
Historical newspaper records documenting Dr. Engle’s role as veterinarian and proprietor of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital and his involvement in veterinary and public-health matters in Summit.
Cornell University records and alumni materials provide additional documentation concerning Dr. James M. Dorney, his Cornell veterinary education, and the history of the veterinary practice.
Current hospital information documents the hospital’s family ownership, Dr. James Dorney’s continuing ownership, its Summit location, and its present-day veterinary services.
Everything you need to know before your visit.
Dr. Joseph B. Engle, DVM, founded Summit Dog and Cat Hospital. Historical reporting in the Summit Herald states that Dr. Engle opened the hospital in March 1926.
Historical Summit Herald records state that Dr. Joseph B. Engle opened Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in March 1926. We continue to research earlier records and historical references so that the hospital’s earliest history can be documented as accurately as possible.
Dr. James M. Dorney, DVM, is the owner of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital. A Cornell University graduate, Dr. Dorney became associated with Dr. Joseph B. Engle at Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in 1964.
Yes. Summit Dog & Cat Hospital is family owned and operated and remains a non-corporate veterinary hospital. The hospital states that it has been family owned and operated since 1980 by the Dorney family.
Summit Dog & Cat Hospital is located at 16 Morris Turnpike, Summit, New Jersey 07901.
(908)-273-2200
Summit Dog & Cat Hospital provides comprehensive veterinary care for dogs and cats, including wellness care, vaccinations, puppy and kitten care, senior care, sick and urgent appointments, surgery, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, echocardiograms, laboratory testing, grooming, boarding, medical boarding, and end-of-life care. Same and next day appointments available.
Yes. Summit Dog & Cat Hospital works with rescue organizations and provides veterinary care for animals in need, including services such as wellness care, spay and neuter, TNR, dentistry, surgery, and boarding.
The hospital’s documented history connects today’s family owned and operated veterinary practice with Dr. Joseph B. Engle, who founded the hospital in 1926, and Dr. James M. Dorney, who joined the practice in 1964 and later became an owner. This history reflects the hospital’s longstanding connection to veterinary medicine and the Summit community.
Our History
From Dr. Joseph B. Engle, who opened Summit Dog and Cat Hospital in 1926, to Dr. James M. Dorney, who became associated with the hospital in 1964 and later became an owner, the history of Summit Dog & Cat Hospital is a story of continuity. It is a story of veterinary professionals caring for animals, adapting to advances in veterinary medicine, and remaining part of the Summit community.
Today, Summit Dog & Cat Hospital continues that tradition as a family owned and operated veterinary hospital serving dogs, cats, and their families in Summit, New Jersey. We are proud of where we came from, committed to the pets we care for today, and focused on continuing the hospital’s legacy for generations to come.
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