First of all, thank you for asking.

There are many factors that are playing into our extended wait times currently. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen drastic changes in the number of pets being brought into the ER. Many people got pets in 2020 and 2021 and many of those pets have gotten sick or injured. Regular veterinary offices are also overloaded, and you may encounter things like multiple-week scheduling back-ups or even clinics not taking any new clients. We assure you, everyone WANTS to help your pet, but we are simply unable to accommodate these new numbers of patients in the same ways we always have. Our internal safety protocols are also slowing things down. We are so excited to have clients back in the hospital, as we believe this will speed things up somewhat.

You are welcome to call us for a list of other emergency hospitals in the area! Sometimes, we shift wait times and someone may be able to see you sooner. Recently, we have seen even some of the large specialty hospitals close their ERs due to staffing and capacity limitations.

Why don’t you just hire more people?

We are! And we have been! Some months, our patient numbers are DOUBLE what they were last year. Doubling our team is not an option for a hospital that values high quality of care, a strong workplace culture, and has size limitations. We have crammed extra work spaces all over our treatment area, and could probably still use another 5-6 stations for doctors and technicians to write notes, do treatments on pets, and prepare supplies for use. That being said, we are always hiring, and we are a wonderful team to work with. If you know experienced emergency veterinarians or certified technicians looking for a job, don’t hesitate to send them our way.

I am super frustrated. I just waited three hours and I want to explode. What should I do?

Take a deep breath. Please know we value your time and your pet’s health. We may be calm and kind when you see us, meanwhile we are juggling a thousand things in the back. Yelling, cursing, threatening, or leaving bad reviews won’t decrease your wait time or make any of us feel great about the job we are doing. Ask about dropping your pet off with us so you can go home and relax a little. Maybe go get some tacos? The stress of a sick pet combined with a long wait is absolutely brutal. Calmly let us know you’re getting upset, and we can work together to find a solution. If you’re already pretty amped and just need to vent, please do not take things out on the team that is working so hard to help. Feel free to reach out to our leadership team to have a respectful conversation.

How can I help?

Once upon a time, we told people that cards, cookies, and coffee were always helpful. At this point, we would be ecstatic to just have patient, kind clients. If you have a great experience, please tell us. If you have extra to give, please tell a friend or neighbor to be kind and patient should they end up in a similar situation.

Thank you for reading this! We truly are doing the best we can.