Portland's First Veterinary Hospital
Celebrates its Centennial in 2011

Before the turn of the century, Portland was scarcely more than a frontier town with a population of under fifty thousand. With its unique access to the joining Willamette and Columbia rivers, however, its prominence and population grew rapidly. By 1910, the population had exploded to more than 200,000 residents. Among the businesses in Portland which began to bloom at this time was Rose City Veterinary Hospital, opened by San Francisco Veterinary College graduate Dr. Gus Huthman in 1911 as the first incorporated veterinary hospital in Portland. Of the many founding businesses on the eastside, Rose City is one of the few still thriving one hundred years later.

Dr. Huthman’s practice was originally situated in the former station of Portland Fire Department’s Hose #3 at 1917 SE 7^th and Grand. Built for the fire department in 1891, the large exit doors for the horses and fire wagons made it ideal for an equine veterinary practice. As the city grew, so did its demands. Dr. Huthman attended to the needs and care of the many horses it took to make Portland thrive, but the average veterinary hospital at the turn of the century was much different than what we think of today. At first, the demand for companion animal care was overshadowed by the need to keep working animals healthy and family pets often went without regular medical attention. The focus of veterinary services, and of Dr. Huthman’s practice, all changed with the advent of the automobile. 

As cars and trucks became the preferred method of transportation through Portland’s streets, the need for horses within the city limits began to diminish. At the same time, the growing neighborhoods turned the cityscape into a family environment, and more urban residents meant more pet owners. A shrewd businessman as well as accomplished veterinarian, Dr. Huthman changed his practice to meet the evolving needs of Portland’s public by offering services for household pets. Dr. Huthman met this new direction with enthusiasm and dedication, and in 1923, he turned his brand new Studebaker truck into a pet ambulance.

Dr. Huthman was proud to be a Portlander and supported his community wherever possible. He was a member of both the Elks and the Masons as well as director of the Eastside Commercial Club. His sense of civic responsibility and philanthropy was illustrated by an article in the Oregonian published on April 28, 1906 which highlighted Dr. Huthman as one of Portland’s donors to the San Francisco earthquake and fire relief fund.

In addition to his civil support, Dr. Huthman also made significant contributions to the veterinary community. In 1936 he became one of seven founding members of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association, which to this day remains dedicated to the promotion of excellent veterinary care in Portland.

In the 1950s, the practice was moved to its current location at the corner of SE 8th and Powell Boulevard just off the eastside ramp of the Ross Island Bridge. In 1996, Dr. Craig Quirk, a graduate of Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, purchased the practice. As the current president of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Quirk is keenly conscious of promoting the vision of excellence established by Dr. Huthman one hundred years ago. There is no longer a pet ambulance at Rose City, but the complete hospital renovation in 2005 has made it the very model of a modern veterinary practice.

Sporting a chic urban design featuring Dr. Quirk’s wonderful, whimsical collection of animal art, the practice is one of the newest veterinary hospitals in Portland as well as the oldest. The client friendly lobby, with its complementary coffee and freshly baked cookies, is a lot more than window dressing. The hospital offers state-of-the-art surgical and therapeutic lasers, digital radiography and, as needed, ultrasound, endoscopy, full blood analysis and a host of other medical marvels that highlight how far veterinary medicine has evolved since the hospital’s founding in 1911.