When pets are sick or need extra care, Dr. Jeremy Hodges is there to help. Hodges is an operating partner at Lake Crest Animal Clinic in Hoover, which opened in 2012. He and his wife, Candace, have three children. They moved to Hoover about a year and a half ago.

Q: Why did you become a veterinarian?
A: I had always wanted to become a veterinarian, ever since I could talk. There was no family or close friends who influenced my decision, but we always had animals growing up.

Q: What’s your favorite part about your job?
A: The thing I love most about being a veterinarian is the fact that I’m not only helping animals, but indirectly, also their owners. For many people, their pet is like their child: a member of the family with a special bond. Veterinarians are in a unique position to help both the owner and animal.

Q: What’s a normal day like for you at the clinic?
A: The first thing that I do in the mornings is walk through and check on the patients that are boarding with us and who are here for treatment. Clients are able to drop their pets off before work in the mornings, so I will start seeing those drop-off patients next. Amongst the many appointments, I will take care of our surgical patients as time permits.

Q: Do you have any pets?
A: My wife and kids always seem to think we need one more pet, so our collection now includes four dogs ranging from a great Pyrenees to a miniature pinscher, three cats, four cockatiels, two lionhead rabbits and two hermit crabs.

Q: Why do you love Hoover?
A: I like the convenience and variety of all the stores and restaurants. Whatever I might need, I can usually get it within 15 minutes and 5 miles of the house. The elementary school my children attend is great.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I really enjoy working with my hands and building and tinkering with things. I’ve been in the process of restoring an old car for the past five years or so. I built the engine from the crankshaft up, so I was proud of that — especially that it ran when I completed it.

Q: What is something not many people know about you?
A: I’ve always enjoyed attending theater and watching the Broadway-style plays. However, I’d never been on stage myself until recently. My whole family, excluding my 2-year-old, was cast for parts in a play that was performed at one of the local community theaters. I had a blast, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I missed my calling.

Q: What’s on your bucket list?
A: Well, I don’t plan on dying, but I’d like to some day go on a medical missions trip and maybe get a pilot’s license. Hopefully, the latter would not bring my bucket list to its conclusion!