(Virginia Beach, Va., Aug. 26, 2024) – Last summer, Ally Urgent Veterinary Care opened in Virginia Beach for Coastal Virginia residents whose pets need to be seen quickly but are not considered an emergency. Beginning August 30, the urgent pet care practice will extend its reach by offering part-time clinic hours at Animal Vision Center of Virginia’s Chesapeake practice at 228 Mt. Pleasant Road in Great Bridge. The satellite location will make it easier for pet owners in coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina to seek urgent veterinary care.

“With this new location, we can reduce travel times for nearby pet owners, ensure shorter wait times and provide even more help for area pets needing urgent care,” said Dr. Heather Brookshire, founder of Animal Vision Center of Virginia and a partner of Ally Urgent Veterinary Care.

To help fill the animal care gap in the region, Ally Urgent Veterinary Care provides:

• Non-life-threatening urgent care for pets
• Fast, efficient treatment for minor animal illnesses and injuries
• Same-day online reservations and virtual check-in
• An urgent care option when family veterinary practices are busy, problems arise after regular veterinary hours and/or when emergency hospitals are at capacity

Brookshire and her business partner, Dr. Ashley Powell, opened Ally Urgent Veterinary Care in August 2023 to address the vital need for more urgent veterinary care options in the region. As more people adopted pets during the COVID-19 lockdown, they witnessed their colleagues struggling to keep up with the high veterinary caseloads and care—a situation that has continued to escalate. Not only was morale low, but veterinary professionals were facing “compassion fatigue” in the community, even losing some members to suicide.

“We wanted to open a practice to help alleviate backups across nearby emergency hospitals and provide a nurturing workplace for veterinary professionals,” said Powell, a general veterinary practitioner and owner of Animal Medical Center. “We developed Ally Urgent Veterinary Care with family and emergency veterinarians at the core of our mission. We understand how much time these caring individuals work, under trying and sometimes emotional circumstances. Everyone needs a break. In helping to fill the care gap, and our practice is here to support them.”

The Chesapeake location will also help Brookshire’s Animal Vision Center of Virginia team improve the case management of urgent ocular cases on weekends while providing a seamless transition for ophthalmic specialty follow-up if needed.

 “With teams at each site, we can broaden the region’s urgent care options, allowing our staff to triage incoming calls and direct them to the closest Ally location or the location with the shortest wait time,” Brookshire said.

For details and information about services, visit allyurgentvet.com.

ABOUT ALLY URGENT VETERINARY CARE

Locally women-owned and operated, Ally Urgent Veterinary Care provides non-emergency care for pets that need to be seen quickly—and support for general veterinary practices and emergency hospitals as a referral option for urgent care. A community of “vets helping vets and pets,” the practice serves Coastal Virginia pets, pet owners and the veterinary community with love, kindness and backup help when they need it. Call 757-900-ALLY (2559). Visit allyurgentvet.com.