Marvin Rothman, 84; ran animal hospital for decades

Marvin Rothman, 84, of Cherry Hill, a longtime South Jersey veterinarian known for his ability to connect with animals and for treating abandoned creatures and finding them homes, died March 17 at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center from complications after heart surgery.

Since 1955, when he opened the Rothman Animal Hospital in Collingswood, Dr. Rothman had been a savior of thousands of furry, feathery and scaly animals.

He saved many from near death, took them into his Cherry Hill home, and, once they were healthy, found them permanent homes, said his wife, Betty.

He examined all animals that came to him - stray cats to chimpanzees, his wife said.

At first, it wasn't easy. When neighbors realized a veterinarian was moving in, they were up in arms, she said.

"They thought there was going to be a lot of barking. It was very unpleasant. . . . He had to go to court."

In time, some of those complainers became Dr. Rothman's best friends and clients. His clientele grew quickly, and within a few years Dr. Rothman had brought on board additional veterinarians.

He became known as Uncle Marvin to his staff, former veterinary technician Barbara Kahn said.

"He always wanted to teach whoever wanted to learn," she said. "He would take his time explaining everything."

That propensity sometimes came with a price for the next client. People and pets often had quite a wait to see Dr. Rothman, but it was worth it once they got in, said Donna Platt, who took pets to him for about 20 years.

"You never felt rushed," she said. "He would spend so much time. . . . His priority was always helping the animal."

Dr. Rothman always started an exam by giving the patient a treat, often a cookie, and then pet it and allowed the animal to relax before starting the exam, Kahn said. Instead of automatically going for high-tech help, such as X-rays or MRIs, she said, Dr. Rothman diagnosed by touch and sound.

"He could feel things," she said. "He would put hands on an animal and listen to what the owners were saying."

Sometimes all it took was one look to make a lifesaving recommendation.

When Platt took Sasha, her well-fed Kuvasz, for a checkup several years ago, Dr. Rothman was blunt.

"He looked at me in a compassionate way and said, 'With your dog so fat, you are killing your dog,' " Platt recalled.

Sasha went on a strict raw food and bones diet and lived to be more than 16 years old.

"It would have never happened without him saying that," she said.

Dr. Rothman was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in 1943.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1948, he landed a four-year internship and residency program at the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.

He finished his residency at Angell in 1952 and went into the Army. For two years, he served in the Veterinarian Corps, doing food and farm inspections in Texas and Maryland during the Korean War.

When he returned from the war, he moved to Collingswood, and in 1955 opened his animal hospital.

In 1963, Betty Rothman was working for the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees and had to take a dog to a veterinarian. Someone suggested Dr. Rothman. Five years later, the couple married and moved to Cherry Hill.

Dr. Rothman sold his practice in 1990 to Mark Esser, but continued to work five days a week until recently.

Dr. Rothman served as president of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association and the South Jersey Veterinary Society. He also taught classes for Camden County College's veterinary technician program.

Most recently, he was on the board of PetPals, a nonprofit organization that provides veterinary care to South Jersey residents who are physically or financially unable to care for their pets.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Rothman is survived by stepdaughters Marsha Andreola and Saskia Ishii.

A private memorial service will be held this spring.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the Rothman Animal Stray Fund, Dwight Avenue & Route 130, Collingswood, NJ 08107.