Maddux Tampa Bay News Wire

February, 2011, Sarasota/Manatee, Florida

Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance and Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital (SVEH) have partnered together to provide the Sarasota/Manatee region with one of the country’s first 24/7 veterinary ambulance services. This cutting edge service has already proven to be an indispensable service to pet owners throughout the region by saving pets’ lives.

Recently, a 911 call came in to Sarasota’s 911 center at 2:00 AM reporting that two dogs had been hit by a car. Because the nearest Animal Services Officer was over an hour away, both 911 and SVEH called Vet Care Express to the scene. Once on the scene, Vet Care Express realized that the two dogs were obviously somebody’s pets that had gotten out - they were a rare breed (Borzoi or Russian Wolfhound) and well cared for. Additionally, they were brother and sister because no matter what, they would not leave each others side.

Unfortunately, the brother had been hit by a car and was in critical condition with a collapsed lung and broken leg. Vet Care Express carefully splinted his leg, strapped him onto a stretcher, and rushed him to SVEH (with his sister safely in the cage beside him). “Thank goodness you guys were able to get him here so quickly because there is no way that he would have survived much longer out there without medical help” says Dr. Ashley Kanzler at SVEH.

Once at SVEH, he had to have emergency surgery to be stabilized so that he would survive. Fortunately, both dogs were microchipped. But because the microchips had not been registered, several hours of phone calls and research were needed to locate the very grateful owners. “Our pet has so far made a remarkable recovery from this tragedy due to the expertise and great care provided by the knowledgeable and friendly staff at SVEH. They got us all through this horror that all pet owners fear. SVEH recognizes that our animals are family members and treats them as such,” says Laura Horn, Kacey and Roulette’s owner.

By partnering with Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance, SVEH puts the Sarasota/Manatee region on the map and sets new standards for veterinary care. Dr. Wendy Ellis, owner of Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital, states “Our goal is to have a professional team approach so that we can provide Sarasota/Manatee and surrounding communities with the very highest level of veterinary care.”

Vet Care Express specializes in providing both emergency and non-emergency transport for pets throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital, located at 7517 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, is a state-of-the-art facility providing 24 hour emergency and critical care services with specially trained staff.