The veterinarian and owner of the South Pasadena Animal Hospital Dr. MS Chaudhry will be remembered for a lifetime after his death on October 25, 2021.
Dr. Chaudhry – or “Doc” as he was commonly known in the community – was born on July 10, 1945 in Kenya. According to his wife, Linda Allison, he emigrated to the United States in 1972 with $ 800 in his pocket.
Dr. Chaudhry stayed with the YMCA cleaning cages for $ 1.50 an hour until he was licensed nine years later. He soon partnered with a friend and bought a veterinary clinic in 1981, Allison said in an interview on Sunday.
“If you talk to his customers, they’ll tell you. I have to have 100 cards that say he was the best vet. Everyone says he was the most trustworthy, gentlest, kindest man, ”Allison added. “That’s all you read.”
In addition to Allison, who was by his side at the time of his death, Dr. Chaudhry also has two brothers, Afzal and Asgar; a sister, Hanifa; and many other family members, friends, and dedicated employees who have worked and loved the man over the years.
His four-legged customers and his own dogs and cats also miss the doctor, Allison said, estimating three generations of families in South Pasadena took their animals to the local hospital during operating hours.
“People were babies when they started bringing pets,” Allison said. “And now they bring their own animals.”
The memorial service for Dr. Chaudhry will be held at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 9th at 11am. A burial in Calvary Cemetery immediately follows the service.