TWO CLINICS COPING IN AFTERMATH; VETERINARIAN'S STAFF GLAD KEY FILES WERE SPARED.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Daily News Staff Writer

Dr. Majid Goldzari spent Monday trying to find a temporary office to relocate his practice after a weekend fire destroyed his urgent-care facility and heavily damaged an adjacent veterinary clinic.

``What I've learned in the last couple of days is you don't know about tomorrow,'' said Goldzari, who for the past decade has seen 10,000 to 12,000 patients a year at his clinic.

``Saturday night, when I finished and came home, I had no idea this would happen to me.''

Investigators said the fire started late Saturday in the attic at 3575 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., and spread quickly through the wooden building, but they are uncertain what sparked the blaze. They estimated damage to the building at $270,000, and $500,000 in damage to the contents.

``We are waiting to hear from the insurance adjuster to what they want us to do next,'' said veterinarian Steve Watase, who spent Monday retrieving files and X-rays from the burned-out rubble. ``We'll try to decide where to go from there.''

Watase said options include opening a temporary office or accepting the offer of one of several local veterinarians to share space. Watase opened his clinic 6-1/2 years ago and has a client base of 3,000 to 5,000 pets.

``I'm sorry it happened,'' said Jill Farinella, who has managed the pet clinic the past five years.

While fire and water destroyed much of the office - including antibiotics, surgical equipment and bags of pet food - the computers containing the animals' medical files and vaccine records were saved.

``Fortunately, the reception area was spared from severe damage,'' Watase said. ``The firemen did a great job of protecting the records and pictures of my children.''

Resident Mitch Cheney, who has been bringing his collie-shepherd mix, Sherlock, to the clinic for six months, stopped by late Monday morning to survey the damage.

``My first thought was I have to find a veterinarian for our pet,'' he said. ``But if they can rebuild or relocate, it'll work out OK.

``The vet clinic is really the people and not the building,'' he said. ``People like this clinic. The veterinarians are both animal people and have a good rapport.''

Both Watase and Goldzari said they've been touched by the show of support from the community.

``They are calling me offering me help, my patients and people I don't know,'' Goldzari said. ``I went to the post office (Monday) morning and they were so nice to me. The community is a very beautiful community.''

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3 Photos

PHOTO (1-2--Color) (Photo 2 ran in Conejo Edition only) Above, the side door of the Anza Pet Clinic stands, but the clinic was gutted after a fire broke out Saturday night. Left, veterinarian Steve Watase makes a call from the clinic parking lot.

(3--Color) (Ran in Conejo Edition only) Burned debris lingers at the Anza Pet Clinic on Monday morning after the fire.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Daily News