Dr. Greg Martinez
The Care
of Animals
Is Just in
His DNA
Written By Kimberly Ewertz
B
orn with a love for animals,
Dr. Greg Martinez’s love
transitioned into a veterinary
career spanning over 37
years. Throughout those years he’s
served countless number of animals,
and their owners, all of whom are
sincerely grateful for his dedication
and his service.
“Anyone who knows Dr. Martinez
knows that this is in his blood, this is
in his DNA,” long-time client Addie
Bryant-Habit said. “I think this is who
he [was] always meant to be.”
In 1981, after graduating from UC
Davis with his degree as a Doctor of
48
Veterinary Medicine, Martinez and
his wife of 41 years, Lonna, moved to
Gilroy. Prior to the move the couple
lived in Hollister where Martinez
worked for six months for a local
animal hospital. Lonna had also secured
employment, as a bilingual teacher for
the Hollister School District, where she
would continue to work for the next
37 years.
From the very start Lonna had no
doubt that her husband would succeed
at his chosen profession.
“When he was like fourteen or
something he was already working
part-time at the pet store,” Lonna said.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
february/march 2019
“He had great ambition to become a
veterinarian. He’s very compassionate,
and he’s also a lot of fun.”
With business slacking off in
Hollister, Martinez jumped at the
opportunity to apply for a position at
the Gilroy Veterinary Hospital after
he found out from a friend they were
hiring.
The acceptance of his new job
resulted in a move to Gilroy for the
Martinez’s, which enabled the good
doctor to be readily available for on-call
emergencies. The new job, and the new
community, turned out to a perfect fit.
“I got involved in a lot of community
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