Dr. Arvid Edward-Pet Savvy

Entertainment — By Buddy Sampson on August 14, 2014 at 2:17 am

Dr. Arvid Edward Stars in “The Pet Doctors of Atlanta.”

The Pet Doctors of Atlanta is a new half-hour reality show in development, featuring Dr. Arvid Edward and his colleague Dr. James Bogan, that takes us inside the world of veterinarians and their trials and tribulations. Pets and animals are an integral part of our family structure. That’s why pet doctors, or veterinarians are so important; they save our non-human friends when they are sick, have emergencies or are in distress.

Dr. Edward has an amazing background. From Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Edward attended the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine. In 2003, he was recognized in Los Angeles, California by the Parent Involvement in Education Foundation and received an award for “Practicing the Highest Standards of Veterinary Medicine and Outstanding Service. ”

Dr. Edward has the unusual distinction of being a veterinarian that’s also an actor. Currently, you can catch Dr. Edward on the kids’ TV show The Dooley and Pals Show, which airs on selected cable TV networks. You may have also seen the dynamic gentleman in commercials for Coca Cola, Disney, Rollitos and Pepsi-Cola. He also did two short films, Sounds of the Fight and Hills Like White Elephants, improvisation work with the Groundlings School of Improvisation and numerous radio segments for pets.  Additionally, Dr. Edward did print work for the historical publication Ebony Magazine.

But why animals? Dr. Edward’s grandparents owned a farm where he spent his summers growing up in Mississippi. “The farm had chickens and horses, cows, pigs, etc. and of course everyone had dogs running around,” Dr. Edward explained. “I was constantly around animals and I used to help my grandparents, whether I was milking the cows, rounding up the chickens or whatever, I would always help, so I kind of developed a love for animals at a young age.” However, there was an incident that occurred when Arvid was younger that framed his desire to work with animals and shaped his career direction. “I remember one of my dogs, Master, got hit by a car,” said Arvid. “I remember being scared, he was my favorite dog. My dad took Master to the veterinarian and the vet saved his life. I think at that moment I realized that that’s what I wanted to do. It was one of the coolest things.”

The Pet Doctors of Atlanta also goes behind the scenes of Dr. Arvid Edward’s private life with his wife and children. We also have the pleasure of meeting Dr. Arvid’s colleague Dr. James Bogan, who has an interest in exotic animals. “I actually met him in 1998,” said Arvid about his friend and colleague, James Bogan. “We worked at the same practice and we kind of clicked. He was this big surgery guy and I like surgery as well. A lot of times we would work together and help each other do surgeries.” The show follows their lives and the life of Dr. Edward, whose wife doesn’t have the same interest he has in animals. “It’s interesting because my wife and my daughter are not pet fans,” laughed Arvid, adding an interesting dynamic to the show. “My wife isn’t a pet person and it will add an element of surprise and different reactions, because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Dr. Arvid Edward gets a lot of satisfaction from servicing animals. “The best thing about working with animals is that you’re helping living organisms that cannot help themselves,” he said. “A lot of times they’re coming in, they’re really sick, they’re hurting, they’re injured and they are afraid, because they don’t know you and they don’t know what you’re about to do to them, so there’s nothing you can do to make them understand that you’re there to help them. So it requires a certain skill, a certain patience and a certain calmness about you to be able to ease their anxiety. With a child you can give them a lollipop or do a clown face or something like that. With animals, you develop a sixth sense and it gives you a sense of joy and accomplishment when you see the faces of the owners when you save their pets, because with a lot of them, pets are like their children.” The Pet Doctors of Atlanta is destined to be a great show, because its star, Dr. Arvid Edward, is pet savvy and truly cares about animals.

Keep your eyes open for The Pet Doctors of Atlanta, currently in production. Additional staff includes executive producers Gayle Barnes, James Bogan and Arvid Edward and the show is produced by Suzanne DeLaurentiis Productions.

Additional information can be found on the official website: http://www.petdoctorsofatlanta.com