UrgentVet opened a Collier County location last month at the Pavilion at Vanderbilt Beach Road and U.S. 41 in North Naples. The company, which first opened in North Carolina and has 36 locations, bridges the gap between primary veterinary practices and emergency vet services by being available with same-day access for pets with minor illnesses or injuries.  

Unlike emergency veterinarians who deal with larger traumas and surgeries like spay and neuters, UrgentVet specializes in minor issues such as colds and scrapes.  

Regional Practice Manager Cassie Jones said the company saw a need for this type of clinic in Southwest Florida to provide relief to busy veterinary emergency rooms. “[We’re] looking at these hot-spot areas that are going to have your general practices that are high in visits, high in volume and really need the extra support from the veterinary care, and also taking the statistics and data from the emergency rooms about their wait times and things of that nature,” Jones said.

The North Naples location has trained their team consisting of a veterinarian, veterinary technician and five vet assistants on stress-free handling, which takes extra precautions to ensure pet patients are as comfortable as possible. Additionally, pheromones are released in each cat- and dog-specific exam room, providing the animals with soothing feelings paired with calming music. 

The clinic provides euthanasia services in a living room-like setting instead of an examination space to promote more comfort. 

“Whether that’s a patient that’s sick and fearful, painful and fearful, we’re going to make sure we’re not going above and beyond that, not pushing the limits of those patients and keeping them at their most comfortable level as we possibly can,” Jones said.UrgentVet is a walk-in-only clinic that does not accept appointments. Clients have the option to check in upon arrival or reserve their spot online beforehand. The check-in system uses an algorithm based on area of importance to determine which patient is seen first.  

“If we have a patient that needs continued care after our hours, we work close with the emergency facilities that are open 24 hours,” Jones said, “We don’t provide transportation, but we provide all the communication and work to help select which location works best for the owner and the pet.”  

As Jones and her team continue seeing patients in Collier County, UrgentVet plans to expand to Fort Myers in June. 

Hours for the North Naples clinic are 3 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.