Open 365 days a year, the clinic offers an affordable alternative to veterinary ER
SARASOTA, Fla. – May 26, 2021 – UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets, announced today it is expanding its presence in Florida with the opening of a clinic in Sarasota. The new clinic, which is located at 501 N. Beneva Road, Suite 151, is opening its doors to the public on Thursday, June 3.
Located near the intersection of Beneva Road and the heavily trafficked Fruitville Road, UrgentVet Sarasota’s central location offers convenient access for residents living in communities throughout Sarasota County, including the beaches.
“The Sarasota area is a perfect place for us to expand because it’s community-minded and incredibly pet-friendly,” said Dr. Jim Dobies, Founder, UrgentVet. “There’s a nice mixture of young professionals, families, empty nesters, and even seasonal residents that we’re looking forward to meeting and helping when their pets need us.”
The new clinic will be UrgentVet’s eighth nationally and the sixth to open in Florida behind three locations in the Tampa Bay area, one in Gainesville and one in west Orlando. Founded in 2015, UrgentVet also has locations in the Charlotte Metro area.
Pet parents can use the website to check their pet in, and text, call or use the clinic’s intercom to alert staff once they arrive. If they prefer, pet parents can remain in their car or be escorted by a member of the UrgentVet staff directly to an exam room.
UrgentVet fills the widening care gap that exists between traditional daytime veterinary practices and specialized 24-hour emergency hospitals, providing affordable after-hours relief on weeknights, weekends and holidays year-round.
UrgentVet will be open from 3 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Noon to 8 p.m. on holidays.
The vision behind the UrgentVet practice model is to provide dogs and cats with trusted after-hours acute care just like an urgent care for humans. Pet parents in the area should continue to take pets to their primary care veterinarian for wellness care and routine visits, but UrgentVet offers a trusting and compassionate option after-hours.
UrgentVet clinics routinely treat vomiting, diarrhea, lacerations, wounds, and skin and ear problems among many other presenting complaints.
On average, an UrgentVet bill is about 40% less than what a pet parent might pay for comparable services at a veterinary ER. No appointments are necessary, and pet parents who check in online can request that the clinic send a text message when it’s time to come in.
UrgentVet’s stress-free experience for pets is enhanced by the clinic design and special training the staff receives. All veterinarians and support staff are “Fear Free Certified Professionals,” which means they’re skilled in caring for both the pet’s physical and emotional well-being.
In addition, there are separate dog and cat waiting areas for pets and their parents to avoid what might be anxiety-inducing situations. All exam rooms have dimmable lighting for anxious animals, relaxing music to soothe the pets and each member of the staff wears sprayable pheromones for a calming effect.
The clinic itself is 2,457 square feet with a total of six exam rooms—two for large dogs, three for small dogs and one exclusively for cats—in addition to a separate comfort room. Other features include an in-house diagnostic lab, digital X-ray machine, ultrasound and cloud-based medical record-keeping software. The large dog rooms contain state-of-the-art lift tables, which also double as a non-slip scale, that lower to the floor for easy access for dogs who may be too heavy to pick up.
With all of its clinics, UrgentVet aims to develop strong relationships with neighboring primary care veterinarians, a practice that the new clinic staff has already started. After a pet’s visit, UrgentVet delivers lab work and X-rays with a referral letter to that pet’s veterinarian within 24 hours so that they can be informed and schedule a follow-up visit at their location.
“Each part of our process is intended to reduce tension and fear in both the pet and pet parents in situations that aren’t comfortable for either of them,” Dr. Dobies said. “We want pet parents in the Sarasota area to know that they can trust us to deliver compassionate care in their pet’s time of need.”
For more information, visit UrgentVet.com.
Media Contact:
Josh Hall, Sage & Sterling Communications
Phone: 813-884-9333
Email: josh@sageandsterling.com
About UrgentVet
Founded by Dr. Jim Dobies, UrgentVet is the first dedicated urgent care clinic for pets. Offering after-hours services, UrgentVet provides pet parents with an affordable and convenient alternative to 24-hour emergency vets. UrgentVet currently operates clinics in Belmont, North Carolina; Fort Mill, South Carolina; Westchase (Tampa), Florida; Brandon, Florida; New Port Richey, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; west Orlando (Ocoee), Florida; and Sarasota, Florida.