Dr. Skelley is a second-generation veterinarian, so he’s known the ins and outs of animal medicine since childhood. He has fond memories of spending his weekends as a kid doing rounds with his dad at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Even then, the emphasis was always on communication and education with and for the client – principles that remain mainstays in his own practice. He received his veterinary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984; thereafter, he opened a successful practice in Hazleton, PA. After 27 years, his partner retired, so they sold the business. With fewer obligations, he and his wife Coady were able to visit friends in the Western Slope and quickly became enamored with Colorado. Now they and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs happily reside in Erie. While Jim has enjoyed his time working at a small clinic in Northglenn, he couldn’t shake “the bug,” and he’s thrilled to have opened Foxtail Pines in his new hometown.