Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184234
8 0 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 "I T 'S ONE THING for somebody to tell you that you can be anything you want to be, but there's no substitute for actually seeing somebody who looks like you, doing the thing that you want to do," said Dr. Vernard Hodges, discussing the fact that African-Americans comprise less than 2 percent of veterinarians working today. As part of that 2 percent, Hodges has been a very public role model in Middle Georgia for more than two decades. In 1999, after earning his DVM from Tuskeegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, the only program of its kind located at an Historically Black College or University in the U.S., Hodges and longtime friend and classmate Dr. Terrence Ferguson opened their first veterinary practice in a tiny office in Byron. ey dubbed it Critter Fixers and, nine months later, business was so good that they started a second location in Bonaire. Dr. Vernard Hodges' life and career inspire others, lead to television show BY TRACI BURNS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT ODOM FROM THE BOT TOM TO THE TOP Today, Critter Fixers treats nearly 20,000 pets per year. "We're humpin' from sunup to sundown," laughed Hodges. With his quirky trademark mohawk haircut and his charming grin, he has the confident, satisfied demeanor of a man who loves what he does for a living, and that radiates through his effortlessly friendly rapport with everyone – human and animal – who walks through his office doors. "He's obviously a knowledgeable vet, but he's great because he forms a relationship with the animals he treats, and with their people, too. He puts his whole heart into what he does," said Tracy Jones, whose dog Max was a longtime patient of Hodges'. Years ago, after a close call with a mysterious illness, Hodges was able to save Max's life. Jones said, "When I had to put Max down years later, he cried with me. He said 'I fought like hell for him,' and he did just that." 'SMART AF TER ALL' is talented and empathetic man came from humble beginnings. Hodges grew up in Fort Valley, on the red dirt roads of Stallworth Trailer Park, hanging out with what he called "the wrong crowd." An only child, Hodges always was drawn to animals and daydreamed of a career spent helping them, but his only moneymaking models were the hustlers and drug dealers who populated the back alley that locals deemed "e Trap." "I didn't realize I was smart," Hodges said. "How do you know you're smart if it's not nurtured?" He failed the ninth grade, and could have easily taken the slacker route from then on out, but seeing a childhood friend hauled away to jail served as a turning point. Middle Georgia Consortium offered him a summer scholarship to Fort Valley State University, and he decided to go for it. "I made good grades. I felt confident, like maybe college really is something