Southwest Animal Hospital is gearing up this week to move into its new location. A grand opening/open house event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 30.
"July 1, we'll be open and ready for business," hospital manager Christina Castrop said.
The new building, located at 1410 Jefferson St., will offer clients more space, as well as increased offerings.
"It is definitely more
spacious, a lot more room. It has five exam rooms, and a huge boarding facility," Castrop noted.
The increased boarding space allows for more birds, cats and dogs. The hospital has added a memorial garden and eventually hopes to add a walking trail in the coming years.
The veterinary facility has two separate entrances, one for the hospital and medical side of business, and another for the grooming area. Castrop said the circle drive will also make dropping off pets more convenient.
Southwest Animal Hospital is also adding two new doctors, Dr. Justin Suchomel and Dr. Hilary Vellios. Both doctors will be joining the practice in the coming months.
To better serve Jefferson City's animal lovers, the hospital will be extending its hours to 10 p.m. starting in August.
"We think the demand is there ... It is something the community would really like to have," Castrop explained after noting that the veterinarians are already on-call during evening and weekend hours. The hospital sees several calls during the week when the office is closed, so adding extra hours will give clients "peace of mind" as well as save on emergency costs.
Construction on the new location began in September 2012. The Southwest Animal Hospital will be closed three days this week to make their move into the new facility.
The local animal hospital has been located at 1809 Southwest Blvd. for more than 40 years.