Several years ago when Tammy Doughty bought a small spot of land on Hunnewell Lane in Woolwich, she didn’t dare to imagine that one day she’d be opening her own state-of-the-art veterinary facility there.

At the time Doughty bought it, the land offered nothing but a long-vacant century-old house. Her idea for a new animal clinic was only a dream in the back of her mind.

But last month, Doughty’s dream came true when she and her staff finally opened to the public the doors of the brand new and much improved Woodbrook Animal Clinic on July 7.

After years of leasing spaces for her practice that were far too small (three years in a location on Route 1 in Wiscasset followed by nearly eight years on Mountain Road in Wiscasset) Doughty and her staff are happy to be settling in to their new home at 13 Hunnewell Lane. Folks may remember the controlled fire last October at the property that brought down the old house in order to make way for construction of the new animal clinic.

The facility, which Doughty helped to design, was built by Broad Cove Builders of Thomaston. Some of its finest features include a drive-through pick-up window for customers; a large-animal room outfitted with a hoist where Doughty and her staff can treat farm animals such as goats and horses; an X-ray room; a laboratory; a separate cat room; a kennel; and a surgery suite, all that in addition to four exam rooms, offices, nursing stations, a pharmacy room, and a small retail area.

Michelle Phelps of Phelps Architects in Damariscotta helped Doughty choose paint colors for both the exterior and interior, and Fogg Art Restoration out of Wiscasset framed and hung the prints found throughout the facility. The reception and waiting area, painted a soothing blue, looks like a custom built home, with snappy white trim, custom molding, bead-board ceilings, sunny windows, and even a Wyeth print or two. The space is sophisticated, warm and inviting.

Doughty says the nicest thing about the new facility, in addition to actually owning it, is the abundance of space. She and her staff went from having 900 square feet at their Mountain Road location to 4,000 square feet with their move to Hunnewell Lane. “We were literally stepping over each other,” she said, laughing.

She said they were also limited in their ability to accept new clients at their old location. They only had one exam room that she and her other doctor had to share. But now, she said, “We definitely have the space to grow.”

Currently Doughty sees her animal clinic as a mixed-animal general practice, offering routine spays and neuters, check-ups, exploratory surgery, and basic diagnostic services. She and her staff offer in-house emergency services, too, with one doctor always on call.

Ideally, she’d like to see her hospital grow into a three-doctor practice that could offer more services, such as orthopedics, internal medicine, and perhaps equine reproduction work. But for now, she and her staff are still getting to know their new space as well as the needs of their customers. Doughty hopes to see folks coming in from surrounding towns like Dresden, Richmond, Alna and Wiscasset.

Currently, she and her staff treat cats and dogs; “pocket pets” such as hamsters, gerbils, rabbits and rats; and farm animals such as chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, and horses. For exotic species such as pet birds, cows and reptiles, they are willing to see the animals at Woodbrook but will more than likely refer them to a specialist.

In addition to the always smiling Dr. Doughty, visitors to Woodbrook Animal Clinic may see veterinarian Dr. Franny Allan; licensed veterinary technician Brandy Greene; veterinary assistants Kelly Helms-Titcomb and Alix Sukeforth; and client-care specialist Katie Thomas. Doughty’s husband Donald takes care of the business end of things.

Doughty, who grew up in Woolwich three-and-a-half miles from her new facility, graduated from Colorado State University in 1999. After practicing first in New York and then at another facility in Maine, she established Woodbrook Animal Clinic in 2005. Although there are certainly challenges to running a business in Maine, she said she is thrilled to be here.

“It’s nice to be able to offer something of this caliber to the community,” she said. “Woolwich hasn’t had a veterinarian in town for 30 years. It’s nice to bring that back to my hometown.”

She says she’s excited to simply become part of the community.

“It feels like we belong here.”

And Doughty and her staff are eager to get started. They will be having an open house on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 2 to 4 pm. Visitors can get tours of the new facility, meet with the folks of Broad Cove Builders, adopt a puppy from Underhound Railway, and eat yummy frozen treats from Gelato Fiasco — served with a smile through the drive-through window.

Woodbrook Animal Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5 pm, and Saturdays until noon. They are located at 13 Hunnewell Lane in Woolwich and can be reached at 207-882-1237. For more information, visit www.woodbrookanimalclinic.com.