For almost three decades, generations of Boksburg families brought their beloved pets to Bokkiepark Animal Clinic.

Now, the doors have closed, bringing an emotional end to the family business built from scratch by veterinarian Dr Riaan Tolken and his wife, Linda.
The clinic officially closed at the end of August, almost two years after Dr Tolken died on September 18, 2024.

Linda, a qualified veterinary nurse who had worked alongside her husband before stepping back to raise their three children, tried to keep his legacy alive.
She relied on locum veterinarians and later rented the practice to another vet, but the arrangement was not financially sustainable.

After failing to find a veterinarian willing to buy the practice, Linda made the difficult decision to close.
The practice began in 1998 when the couple bought a house and started building their clinic. During construction, they operated from one room while the family lived in the old part of the house.

Over the years, Dr Tolken became a familiar face to generations of pet owners, with clients becoming friends and families returning with their pets over many years.
Linda estimates the clinic treated hundreds of thousands of patients during its lifetime.

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“It was sort of a family practice,” said Linda.
“We really got attached to the clients and their animals. Yes, it’s still a business, but it was not only about the money.”

The closure has been particularly difficult for the Tolken family, as their three children grew up around the practice.
For Linda, it also marks the end of another tangible part of her late husband’s legacy.
“It’s like another thing of their father coming to an end,” she said.

She said she would have loved to continue, but the economic pressures facing both the business and pet owners made it impossible.
“In my heart I want to carry on, but it’s just not financially viable,” she said.

Despite the sadness, Linda believes her husband would have been proud of the effort she made to keep the practice going.
“I didn’t just close the door when he was gone. I really tried.”

The property is now on the market, with discussions also underway about a possible future use as an animal facility.

For the many Boksburg families who came through its doors, however, the building will likely always be remembered as the place where they took their pets for many years.
“It’s a book closing,” said Linda.

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