Local Pet Hospital Stays Open By Changing Way People Hand Off Pets To Veterinary Staff

Since this pandemic started, Family Pet Hospital has been able to keep their doors open by using a curbside service. It’s reduced traffic going in and out of the building.

“The biggest thing we are concerned with is we need to keep our team safe and we want to keep our clients safe, that’s the biggest concern for us,” said Dianna Martinez, Family Pet Hospital's practice manager.

The hospital said they do not allow guests inside, and they ask you call ahead to let them know what your pet needs.

You will then park out front and a staff member with personal protective equipment will take your pet inside to be treated.

Once your pet is ready to be picked up, they’ll bring the animal outside and place it inside your vehicle for you.

The hospital's manager said the system is created to reduce contact between workers and customers.

“Glove, mask, and gown and come out to the car and get their pet take it inside, do the full exam, blood work, whatever the pet needs,” said Martinez.

The hospital also uses their own leashes to decrease the chance of infected materials being brought into the building. Martinez said though research shows you should not be worried about your pet catching COVID-19, it’s still important to monitor their health.

“It’s important to keep your pets up to date on their heartworm medications, flea and tick medications,” said Martinez. “There’s lots of pets that have heart disease, that have diabetes.”

According to the hospital, since people have been sheltering at home, they’re learning more about their pet's health.

“It’s been interesting to see what the community has seen,” said Martinez. “The differences in their animals while they’ve been at home during the day.”

The clinic said they plan to donate personal protective gear to local hospitals. They said they want to assist other healthcare workers around the state.

You can donate PPE equipment by going to: getusppe.org.