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In its 35-year history, Belmont Shore Veterinary Hospital has had a long and esteemed record of exceptional veterinary care for the pets of the Long Beach area.
The hospital was founded in 1972 by Dr. Kenneth Ehlen. Five years later, in 1979, Dr. Zoelner became owner of the practice. It was under Dr. Zoelner that Dr. Loren Eslinger started working for the practice in 1989. Six years later, in 1994, Dr. Zoelner was ready to retire and Dr. Eslinger became the sole owner.
By 2001, under Dr. Eslinger’s care, the practice had grown to such a degree that it threatened to exceed the volume of patients that one doctor could reasonably care for. At that time Dr. Eslinger made the decision to keep her focus on providing the highest quality care for every individual pet she treated rather than switch to a high volume practice. Accordingly, she stopped accepting new clients.
After years of excellent service, healthy patients, and satisfied clients, the practice was soon ready for a new home. In June of 2003 Dr. Eslinger moved the practice from its Second Street location, a 1100 square foot converted service station that was shared with an auto detailing shop, to its current location on the corner of PCH and Loynes. This current location boasts 3500 square feet of beautifully remodeled space.
In 2007, Dr. Eslinger again decided to change the direction of the hospital. After 13 years of being a solo practitioner, she began to realize that although she still loved coming to work each day, it was time to take some extra time for herself. But this presented a dilemma. How were clients going to care for their pets if she was not at the clinic to serve them?
Dr. Eslinger resolved her problem by making the decision to bring new life into the practice. In April 2007 she announced her semi-retirement and invited Dr. Rachel Sitler and Dr. Elyse Frank to join the Belmont Shore family. With two additional doctors available to see patients, Dr. Eslinger knew that her clients would be happy, her patients would be healthy, and she would be able to get some well-deserved time to relax.