In the early 2010s, when I was still a visiting tourist in Armenia, I was invited to spend Easter night in the home of my childhood friend, Anais Abedi. Once we had our fair share of food, Anais asked whether I’d be willing to help her with a “patient” downstairs. I couldn’t say no. Long story short, I ended up in a small makeshift pet clinic in their yard, helping Anais save a kitten’s life after it had been hit by a car.
 

And that was it. That was the humble beginning of PAWS. Today, it has grown into an established, award-winning business, the first of its kind in Armenia. The headquarter sits in Yerevan, with another branch recently launched in Dilijan. And while both of us have grown into adults with families, Anais still has the same spark and passion about nature and animals that she had when we were barely 10 years old, catching insects and studying them in jars.
 

So, on a crazy rainy day in June, we sat outside her clinic, joined by her husband Karen (also a vet; what are the odds?), and had a retrospective on her move from Iran to Armenia, and the story behind PAWS.
 

You moved to Armenia from Iran at a young age, before many people even know what path they want to take in life. How did growing up between these two Armenian worlds shape who you became?
 

Things were easier in Iran’s environment, because I grew up there and was already adapted to that mindset. When we moved to Armenia, I was at the age when you start developing a social circle. I had to leave all that behind and come to a new environment where people had already developed their own social circles and had some sort of understanding of their goals and aspirations.
 

I chose my place of study based on my favorite subject, and started to integrate with the people who studied there as well. It was difficult at first. We moved about 16 years ago, when it was hard to explain why your last name is Abedi even though you’re a Christian Armenian. [We laugh, because we both have the same last name, and can both relate to this, even today!] It was hard to explain why I wrote in Grapar Armenian.
 

Remember, I received all of my education up to that point in Farsi. Suddenly, everything was in Armenian. It’s not like I didn’t understand Armenian. I did. But studying everything in Armenian, especially technical terminology, was a different story. It was hard, but here we are!
 

At what point did veterinary medicine stop being just a profession for you and become something you wanted to build a life around?
 

A long time ago, actually. That’s because my love of animals and nature pushed me toward this profession. I didn’t choose this profession for profession’s sake. Rather, I chose something that would keep me close to nature. That’s why I always planned my life around this field.
 

You opened what is considered the first veterinary medical center in Yerevan. What did Armenia’s veterinary field need at the time, and what made you believe you could help change it?
 

Back then, there were small clinics. As soon as I moved, we adopted a dog. [Today, she has three.] There were clinics that we took her to. But most were small rooms where sick pets and healthy pets were kept together. There was no sterile space for more prophylactic procedures.
 

There were no means for broader testing. You had no choice but to take your pet’s test samples to laboratories meant for humans. Then you had to pass the analysis to your vet, who “converted” human test results to pet test results, which came with its own problems. Human laboratories can’t produce accurate test results for pets because the differences in metrics, values, and results are massive.
 

All of these issues existed. You couldn’t just pick one vet clinic that would cover all of your pet’s needs. There wasn’t a place where your pet would be under constant surveillance, and where you could consult the same group of vets and professionals every time, and where any necessary care, be it food or simple hygiene, would be readily available. I established PAWS to fill in all of these gaps.
 

You run the center together with your husband Karen, who is also a veterinarian. How do you separate the roles of husband and wife, business partners, and medical professionals, or do they all blend together?
 

[Karen and Anais laugh hard.] We got lucky! Both of us are really good at balancing these roles, and at understanding our capabilities. Karen is our head vet and surgeon, and he’s great at what he does. He has a very creative mindset and can perform surgeries with limited tools that most surgeons couldn’t perform. He can achieve the maximum results using the minimal available resources. You can’t learn what he does at a university. It’s just something that comes naturally with the person.
 

I myself, by nature, am a leader. I am mostly in charge of the organizational aspect of it all, and I’m more into aesthetic procedures, be it surgeries or grooming. Nature has already done the balancing for us! That balance exists even in the type of surgeries we perform. Karen deals with the more serious, traumatic injuries and complex procedures. He doesn’t like the aesthetic aspect. I, however, do. It’s a win-win.
 

[I look at Karen and ask: do you agree? He nods, smirks, before going back inside to take care of an emergency.]
 

Here’s a more unusual question: if animals could review your clinic the way humans review restaurants and hotels, what do you think they would say about you and Karen?
 

To be honest, considering the approach we have, I think they would be satisfied! We each have our specific duties and carry them out with due diligence. Karen does the heavy lifting, and I take care of the “cute” aspects of veterinary care. I think women are naturally more emotional, while men are busy finding practical solutions to problems. We definitely have this balance, and it’s reflected in how we care for the animals at PAWS. And I think the reviews would be positive because of this.


 

Do you think Armenia is becoming a more animal-friendly country, or are we still at the beginning of that journey?
 

There’s still a long way to go. But if I compare what we have today to what we had 17 years ago, we’re definitely taking some massive steps forward.
 

When we first moved, there were barely any pet shops here. There was limited inventory. Even the mindset of taking your pet for vaccinations, surgeries, and grooming wasn’t as developed as it is today. The idea of spending money on animals was alien to most people.
 

Today, the majority understands that if an animal lives in the same space as you, you need to care for it properly.
 

What is the strangest thing you have had to explain to a pet owner with a straight face?
 

[Anais’ face literally turns straight, as if she’s having a triggering flashback moment.] Whether their pet will have pups or kittens after they are spayed or neutered. [We all burst out laughing.] If I think long and hard, I’m sure I’ll remember even stranger things. There was one case where the conversation about the possibility of pregnancy after spaying or neutering was so serious, I actually started questioning myself! Then I wondered: what’s the point of spaying and neutering a pet if you want them to get pregnant later?
 

If you could ask every pet owner in Armenia to change just one habit, what would it be?
 

Don’t feed your pets random things from the dinner table, even if they look at you with the innocent eyes of a child. This is a mistake 99% of our clients make. Decorative animals are super popular these days, and their digestive systems are very fragile and sensitive. Every time you feed these pets human food, you cut down their lifespan.
 

But we can still feed Slavik (our cat, who is a regular at PAWS), right?
 

[Awkward silence, followed by laughter.] Consider yourself a part of that 99%!
 

Anything else you want our readers to know?
 

Regardless of animals, it would be great to see more love from our people toward nature. We need to try harder to explain to people that it’s better to be closer to nature rather than man-made things. The farther we move from nature, the sadder our situation will be. The more kindness and empathy we have toward nature, the better for us. Because the cosmos has rules. Nature is what rules us. And if we expect it to be kind to us, we must return the favor. If you don’t like nature, at least don’t harm it and don’t pass by it with indifference.

Interview by Nareg Abedi Masihi