What to know
- Stay with your pet: VEG ER for Pets’ open-concept emergency clinic lets owners remain with their pets during treatment, reducing stress for both.
- 24/7, no wait: The Etobicoke clinic opens Feb. 9 and offers immediate doctor access, even on holidays, for faster, more transparent care.
- Comprehensive care on-site: Pets can receive X-rays, ultrasounds, and surgeries while owners observe or stay nearby.
Paw-leasing news for paw-rents! Animal hospital VEG ER for Pets is opening a one-of-a-kind service that lets you stay with your pet when things get ruff.
Bringing your pet into the ER can feel like the worst day of your life, especially considering how integrated your pet is into your family.
VEG ER for Pets’ Medical Director Dr. Annie Kwok emphasizes that when “something happen[s] where you need to bring [your pet] to a facility for emergency care, that’s super, super scary for people.”
Introducing a similar concept to human hospitals – where you can stay with your child in the emergency room.
At VEG ER for Pets, “people get to stay with their pets through every step of treatment, because it’s scary, and we don’t want to add more stress on top of a really terrible situation,” Dr. Kwok told Now Toronto.
VEG ER for Pets does not force you to separate from your fur baby as you anxiously wait in the reception area.
The best part is that there’s no wait time. Instead of waiting for hours on end for an initial consultation, VEG ER for Pets staff meet you right at the door to see a doctor right away to better understand what’s going on with your pet.
Pets can receive everything from X-rays and ultrasounds to surgeries, with owners by their side or within view, providing both comfort and a deeper understanding of your pet’s health.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the clinic is opening its first location in Canada, VEG Etobicoke, and will cut the ribbon at 11:30 a.m. From then on, they’ll be open 24/7 – even on holidays!
Unlike traditional emergency clinics, VEG ER for Pets stands out for its open-concept model, which the business believes best supports pets and their parents’ health.
Working as an emergency veterinarian since 2003, U.S. founder and CEO Dr. David Bessler realized first-hand how broken the system was – and took it in his own hands to change it. In 2014, he purchased his first VEG hospital in White Plains, New York, U.S.. Since then, the open-floor-plan experience has created a comfortable setting for pets and kept parents in the loop, shown to help reduce stress, increase transparency and improve pet health outcomes.
Having 15 years of experience as an emergency clinic veterinarian, VEG ER for Pets’ Medical Director Dr. Annie Kwok compares her previous 11 years working at a traditional clinic versus four years at VEG.
“I’ve seen patients recover so much better and so much more quickly when their people stay with them because, again, they feel more comfortable. They’re less anxious. It’s a two-way street,” Dr. Kwok told Now Toronto.
She expresses her joy when she gets to discharge a pet patient much earlier because their healing was quicker with their pet parent around.
Kwok shares that VEG ER for Pets bridges the gap between veterinary medicine and pet parents.
“They can trust us. They can see what we’re doing and know that we are taking the best possible care of their pet. I get to communicate with them along the way exactly what’s happening, and help them with their stress, help them with their fear, and let them know that it’s going to be OK,” Kwok said.
VEG already owns over 100 locations in the U.S. and is opening in Etobicoke in February.
