24/7 Emergency Vet aims to reduce stress for pet owners

FORT MYERS, Fla. — For many pet owners, a medical emergency doesn’t just bring fear it brings anxiety, uncertainty and sometimes long waits with little information. A new emergency veterinary hospital opening in Fort Myers says it’s designed to change that experience by keeping pet owners with their animals every step of the way.

VEG ER for Pets is opening its newest location at 5010 S. Cleveland Ave. in Fort Myers, offering 24/7 emergency care, including surgery, imaging, and overnight hospitalization. The hospital will officially open on Thursday, February 5, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Unlike traditional emergency vet clinics, VEG ER for Pets features an open-concept design with no traditional waiting room. Instead, pet owners are brought directly onto the treatment floor, where care begins immediately.

“When you walk in the door, it’s an open concept, meaning you’re on the treatment floor from the second that you step in,” Dr. Jeanette Gonzalez, medical director at the Fort Myers location, said. “You’re able to be with your pet for the entirety of treatment and see what’s going on.”

Doctors say that immediate triage can make a critical difference during emergencies, especially in life-threatening situations.

“A nurse and a doctor will see you right away,” Gonzalez said. “The most important thing is a doctor seeing your pet as soon as possible, because if there is something life-threatening, the sooner you address it, the better the prognosis. A lot of times, that happens even before paperwork is filled out.”

For Fort Myers resident Linda Caldrone, that approach addresses one of the most stressful parts of past emergency vet visits, being separated from her pet.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” Caldrone said. “You have to leave them; they take them behind, and you don’t know what’s happening with them until they come back out to talk to you.”

Caldrone, who owned her dog for 15 years, said those moments were filled with anxiety.

“Anxious, a lot of anxiety waiting,” she said. “They can’t talk to you. They can’t tell you what’s wrong, and you just want to know what’s happening.”

At VEG ER for Pets, that separation is largely eliminated. Pet owners are allowed to stay with their animals through nearly every phase of care, including surgery and overnight treatment.

“The reason I started working at VEG was because of an experience I had with my own dog,” Gonzalez said. “He had a seizure, and they immediately took him from me and brought him to the back without telling me what was going on. My biggest fear was that he would pass away without me.”

Gonzalez said that experience shaped how she views emergency veterinary medicine.

“Pets are family. We wouldn’t do that in human medicine, so we shouldn’t do it in veterinary medicine either.”

Inside the Fort Myers hospital, rooms designed for overnight care can transform from seating areas into beds, allowing pet owners to stay close during long or critical stays. The surgery suite also includes viewing windows so owners can watch procedures in real time if they choose.

“When people understand what’s happening, they’re more comfortable,” Gonzalez said. “It strengthens the bond between the pet and the owner, and it strengthens trust in the care we’re providing.”

VEG ER for Pets focuses exclusively on emergency medicine and is equipped to handle a wide range of urgent cases.

“All we do is emergency care, so we do it best,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll see anything that can fit through the door.”

The Fort Myers hospital is the 11th VEG location in Florida and part of a network of more than 100 emergency veterinary hospitals nationwide. It will be open 24 hours a day, including holidays.

Doctors say pet owners don’t need to second-guess whether to come in.

“If you’re concerned about your pet, we’re concerned about your pet,” Gonzalez said. “Even if it’s just to ease your mind, it’s better to get them checked.”