A medical emergency can be a pet owner’s worst nightmare, but a new veterinary hospital hopes to ease the stress.
Veterinary Emergency Group, an emergency veterinary practice with 76 other locations across the U.S., has opened its 77th clinic — and its first Oregon location — in the Tanasbourne area. Located at 11286 N.E. Evergreen Parkway in Hillsboro, the clinic is open 24/7 to handle medical crises for pets, with a unique approach that aims to prioritize transparency and comfort.
“What’s different about us is that it’s a fully open concept,” VEG Medical Director Shannon Janda said. “People stay with their pets through every phase of the treatment, so they can even stay overnight.”
There isn’t a single part of the treatment process that’s off limits to owners, Janda said. As soon as a patient comes into the clinic, they are taken to the treatment tables situated in the middle of the space — there is no back room for them to be whisked away to.
X-ray and surgical suites have large windows for owners to watch through, and there’s even been instances where owners are suited up in a gown and gloves so they can stay with their pet during the procedure, Janda said. And if an animal has to stay the night, the hospital has separate rooms with cots for owners to stay with them.
“It kind of started from seeing the struggles that people were having with being separated from their pets for emergencies,” Janda said. “Transparency helps keep the pets and owners calmer and happier.”
The hospital can treat about 50 patients at once, Janda said. Though the clinic is open-concept, they can accommodate reactive pets that might be upset by seeing other animals by utilizing one of four separate exam rooms while still providing the same level of transparency.
The cost of veterinary emergency care can be staggering, but the clinic accepts alternative payment options like CareCredit, Scratchpay and Affirm to help give pet owners options, Janda said.
The company also has an attached charity, VEG Cares, which utilizes community donations to provide care that would otherwise be inaccessible.
“We encourage people to think about pet insurance, especially in emergency situations,” she added.
Another veterinarian at the clinic, Rachel Bernard, is from the Clackamas area and said she’s looking forward to bringing this kind of pet care to the region.
“I’m excited to bring VEG to Oregon because I truly believe that it’s the future of emergency medicine,” Bernard said as her 7-year-old dog, Spud, excitedly greeted other grand opening attendees. “The whole emergency experience is really stressful for owners and their pets, and the way that we practice really alleviates a lot of stress on both parties.”
Janda said she wants people to know what a different experience VEG offers. Having worked with the company for three years at more than 40 VEG clinics, she said she’s seen the benefits firsthand.
“There are lots of other companies providing pet emergency care, we’re not novel in that way, but we’re really trying to revolutionize the actual experience,” Janda said. “And I think it makes a huge difference.”
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