CARE is Closing
updated: Dec 22, 2009, 6:37 AM

Message about CARE to the community:

Dear Animal Friends:

If you haven't already heard, CARE is closing. There is a good chance that CARE, or an equivalent business, will open in SB with most of the same personnel. In the meantime, there are alternatives you should be aware of and ready to utilize, if you need emergency or specialty care for your pet:

VMSG (Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group), 2199 Sperry Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003, Phone: (805) 339-2290. Exit Victoria Ave. exit, turn right on Valentine, then left on Sperry. VMSG is a bigger, better run, better staffed version of CARE -- they have 24/7 emergency care plus multiple internists, surgeons, physical therapy, etc. It's a bit over a half hour drive from SB, so it's less convenient, and the initial wait time in the lobby can be longer once they admit your pet -- but the professionalism of the staff and responsiveness to owners is really impressive. I have used them on multiple occasions in the past few years, for both medical and surgical needs and for both my own animals and shelter animals, and been quite happy with the level of service overall.

PEC (Pet Emergency Clinic), 2301 S. Victoria, Ventura CA 93003, Phone: (805) 642-8562. Exit Victoria Ave. exit, turn left on Valentine, then left on Victoria. Go under the freeway, then turn immediately right onto S. Victoria. PEC is an after-hours and weekends-only emergency service, not a full service clinic like CARE. But it is there if you need critical short-term care. I did use them for Shadow once, before I knew that VMSG had emergency services, and had a good outcome.

Small Animal Surgical Associates, Dr. Eric Wright, 805-886-9720. Dr. Wright was Chief of Surgery at CARE for several years before opening this mobile practice. He does surgeries at your vet's office, and can do both orthopedic and soft tissue work. The up side is that he is cheaper than VMSG; the down side is that he cant offer 24/7 in-hospital monitoring post-op, so if your pet needs that level of care, you are better off at VMSG. He did eight surgeries for me (his head tech was also my roommate) so I can attest to his skill and professionalism.

26 comments on this article. Read/Add

# # # #

SEARCH RELATED KEYWORDS:
CARE Hospital closing email Animal Friends where alternative