When Dr. Shauna Bartholomew began thinking about what to call her new veterinary practice, she didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

Sunniside Veterinary Clinic, opening in Towamensing Township, is named after her childhood horse, Sunni — a constant companion that saw her through the good and bad times of growing up and even through veterinary school.

“We talk a lot about the human-animal bond, and he was kind of the inspiration for that,” Bartholomew said. “He was always a part of my life through thick and thin, and it just felt natural when I was thinking of a name for a clinic to use his name in his honor because of how much he meant to me.”

Bartholomew, a Palmerton Area High School graduate, purchased the former Forest Inn Veterinary Hospital at 5285 Interchange Road from Dr. Betsy Squires. The practice had operated at that location since the mid-1990s.

“I happened to be driving by and noticing the sign for a while,” she said. “I was at a point in my life where I thought, ‘Let me see if I can make this happen.’ I called one day, and Dr. Squires’ husband answered the phone and said, ‘Yep, we’re still for sale. Come on in and take a look.’ The rest is history.”

The sale was finalized Sept. 12. Since then, Bartholomew has been updating equipment and preparing the clinic for its reopening. She said much of the work has focused on bringing diagnostic tools up to modern standards.

“We’re updating a lot of the equipment — digital radiology, ultrasound, a dental X-ray system, and expanding the in-house blood work options,” she said. “We should have point-of-care results the same day. We’re also adding digital cytology, which is a lot newer. If a dog or cat has a mass, we can send an aspirate to a pathologist and have results the same day or next day instead of waiting a week. It really helps with surgical planning.”

She said the building itself didn’t need major renovations beyond flooring and other cosmetic updates.

Sunniside will provide general veterinary services for dogs and cats, including preventive medicine, surgery, dentistry and nonemergency care.

“We can handle urgent daytime cases, but true after-hours emergencies will be referred,” she said.

Bartholomew will also offer specialty ultrasound services and will work with another local veterinarian, Dr. Sheri Newell of Homestead Veterinary Hospital, to provide referral imaging.

An open house is planned for Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

“We sent out mailers to clients, but anyone interested is welcome to stop by,” she said. “Some of the staff will be here, so it’s really a meet-and-greet — a chance for people to see what we’re all about and whether we’re a good fit for them and their pets.”

Bartholomew said her interest in veterinary medicine began when she was a child caring for her pony, Patches.

“My horse colicked after eating some onion grass, and it didn’t sit well with his stomach,” she said. “The vet came out and asked if I wanted to help hold things while he treated my pony. That was one of my early memories, and I remember thinking, ‘I want to do this one day.’ ”

She never strayed from that dream.

Bartholomew earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Delaware Valley University in 2011 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 2015.

She began her career working with both large and small animals locally before focusing on small-animal care. She has worked at Banfield Pet Hospital in Stroudsburg and most recently at Homestead Veterinary Hospital in Jonas.

“It was my intention to stay there, but practice ownership was no longer going to be an option,” she said. “That was my end goal — to be a practice owner.”

Owning her own clinic now allows her to tailor care to each client and patient.

“It allows me to be more flexible,” she said. “If there’s a challenging case or financial issues, we can work with clients to make sure their pets get the care they need without breaking the bank.”

Bartholomew said she values cooperation among area veterinarians and hopes to be a supportive part of the local veterinary community.

“At the end of the day, we’re still a community, and we should have good working relationships so that no matter what, pets get the care they need,” she said.

Looking ahead, Bartholomew said she plans to keep growing the practice.

“I want Sunniside to be a nice, affordable option and to expand on what we’re already offering,” she said. “There’s potential for grooming, and maybe another doctor in the next few years. I plan to be here for many, many years.”

A lifelong Palmerton resident, Bartholomew lives on a small farm with her boyfriend, six cats, two dogs and three horses.

“We grow a lot of our own vegetables and started a little farm stand this year,” she said.

Bartholomew also plays clarinet in the Palmerton Community Band and enjoys gardening, skiing and horseback riding.

“We really do have a wonderful community here,” she said. “Being able to come back and be where my roots are is a great experience. I really look forward to serving everyone here.”