First off, we want to say thank you to all of our clients for your continued patience and kindness. There are days it feels like there is no end when we are trying our best to fit everyone in with double booking and sometimes triple booking patients. There are days we just physically cannot accommodate every pet; we understand that it is disheartening and that is not our goal at all. Emergency and Urgent Care Hospitals are sometimes the best option for a pet to provide the most optimum outcome and utilizing more resources.
Since April 2020, pet ownership has increased drastically and this has created a struggle for all veterinary hospitals across the country not just here in the tristate. A lot of clinics and hospitals have stopped taking new patients, there have been several that limited staff which limits appointments, some are booking months out for an appointment or a surgery, and again there is an increase in pet ownership – large, small, and exotic. We know this is not normal, but right now this is the new normal for everyone in the veterinary industry. We sincerely apologize for any long wait times or not being able to get in, but we are trying our best and we cannot fit in every phone call that we receive. It is physically not possible right now, and again we are deeply apologetic for that because your pets are our family too.
With that being said, please book at least a month ahead of time for routine vaccines, spay/neuters, and annual wellness visits. If you are unable to make a scheduled appointment or surgery, please call us at least 24 hours ahead of time. Not showing up for your pet’s scheduled appointment takes that time away from a patient that needs it. Please be courteous and call ahead or email to reschedule. In November 2021 we implemented a no show/late cancellation policy to help stabilize our dynamic schedule to assist our staff to serve you better. This policy has not changed, and we are still having numerous clients not show up for their appointment or cancel late in the day. As stated before, be courteous and call ahead to reschedule. We understand life gets in the way and plans change, so we just ask that you call and let us know ahead of time.
The staff carry out this policy, so please be courteous and do not yell at, swear at, or disrespect them in any way. We are all trying our very best to help you and your pet, and everyone in the veterinary industry is doing the job of more than one person right now. We are not perfect and we are constantly trying to get better. We want to hear constructive feedback and have a chance to understand where we can grow and fix problems. That does not need to include yelling, name calling, swearing, or scathing social media reviews. We want to help everyone we can, but you have to be patient with us as well.
If you would like to understand more about veterinary medicine and why it is so different than what you have been used to at the moment, please start here: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/20/us/vet-tech-shortage-burnout/index.html.
Please help us help you. We are all in this together, and we promise you that we want to help.
Sincerely,
The Staff at Bright Veterinary Clinic & Dearborn County Animal Clinic
