Dr. Vercil Senseman

 

When North Shore Animal Hospital opened on March 3, 1963, there was only one bridge spanning the Caloosahatchee River, the Edison Bridge, Page Field was the only airport, Cape Coral was developed at only its most southern point and there were no "malls".

 

Dr. Vercil F. Senseman's family moved to Fort Myers from Dayton, Ohio in 1940 when he was ten years old but he always considered himself a native. He met Ann, who he married in 1950, when they were both attending Fort Myers High School.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1947, serving in Korea for two years.  After his military service, he enrolled at the University of Florida, receiving his Bachelors of Science degree. At that time, the University of Florida did not have a College of Veterinary Medicine. Auburn University in Alabama, had an agreement with UF to accept a limited number of students to their veterinary college. Dr. Senseman was accepted to the Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine where he earned this Doctorate Degree in 1962.

 

Dr. Senseman was a founding member of the Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Fort Myers, and a founder of the local, prestigious Canturbury School. He was active in Boy Scouts of America, Kiwanis, the local Humane Society and also established the local Civil War Roundtable for Civil War enthusiasts.  Vercil, himself was an avid collector of military memorabilia, especially original Confederate collectables.

 

The original North Shore Animal Hospital was located at the corner of Pondella Rd and N. Tamiami Trail in N. Fort Myers. About the time of Hurricane Charlie in 2004, we had to move out of necessity to our present location at 14487 N. Cleveland Avenue in N. Fort Myers which has allowed us to more than double in size.