HOSPITAL HOURS & COVID-19 PROCEDURES UPDATE (March 13th, 2023)
Best Friends Animal Hospital has made the difficult decision to close the hospital on Saturdays, effective June 2, 2022.
While we understand this will be inconvenient for many of our clients, it has become necessary for us to make the mental and physical well-being of our staff and doctors a priority.
While we regret the need for this change, we are not alone in making the decision to reduce hours. High workloads caused by an unprecedented increase in the demand for veterinary services and the nationwide shortage of staff and doctors has forced many animal hospitals around the country to do the same. Burnout and suicide rates are now considered epidemic in the veterinary profession. By giving our employees and doctors more time away, we can return fresh each week and maintain the same high level of care you’ve come to expect from us.
Should your pet require urgent or emergency care on the weekends, we can refer you to the following 24-hour emergency and urgent care hospitals:
11730 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Please note that our extended Monday – Friday hours will remain the same: 7:30am – 7:00pm. We are now welcoming clients inside the building with their pets for appointments, but curbside service is still available for those who prefer it.
We want to thank you so much for your continued patience and support as we adjust ourselves to the new realities of veterinary care post-pandemic. If you have any questions about our services or need to make an appointment, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (818) 766-2140.
As of March 2022, we are happily allowing clients to enter our hospital. It’s been a long two years and we are grateful to everyone for your kindness and graciousness as we learned how to operate as a curbside-only hospital! We are thrilled to see you all again.
Here’s what you should need to know:
- Call or text us when you arrive.
- We will let you know when we are ready for you and your pet to enter the hospital.
- Face masks are optional inside of our hospital – covering your nose and mouth.
- If you prefer curbside care, just let us know, and we’ll be happy to care for your pet while you remain in your vehicle.
Appointment Scheduling Protocol (3/2022)
We want to take a moment to thank you for your continued patience and support as we had to adjust the way we provide service to our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, going fully curbside. We are so excited to be seeing our amazing clients face-to-face after two years!
We are doing our best to see as many patients as possible, and our clinic, like many others across the country, is still at full capacity due to the high volume of requests for veterinary services.
To increase efficiency and reduce stress, here is our current process for routine wellness and non-urgent appointments.
We are currently booking 3-4 weeks out for routine visits.
We recommend booking 21-day booster vaccines and medical progress visits at the time of your pet’s initial appointment to ensure you’ll be able to return within the necessary timeframe.
We no longer take same-day appointments for annual wellness, vaccines or health certificates.
In addition, we encourage clients to arrive 10 minutes early to find parking. If a client is more than 10 minutes late, they will have to reschedule their appointment.
Again, your support and cooperation are sincerely appreciated. We can’t wait to see you!
Please don’t hesitate to call us at (818) 766-2140 if you have any questions or if you would like to make an appointment.
For more information on how the pandemic impacted the veterinary field, please visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8huOvgnvZEg
https://www.southwestjournal.com/voices/ask-the-veterinarian/2020/08/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-an-appointment-with-your-vet-right-now/
https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2021-09-27/veterinarians-pets-essential-california
