UrgentVet Opens New St. Pete Clinic For Pets

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A national urgent care clinic dedicated to pets will expand its footprint in the Tampa Bay area with a new location in St. Petersburg.

UrgentVet will open its doors Thursday at 1470 66th Street N. in the Tyrone area.

It’s the company’s 31st clinic nationwide and its 12th in Florida, according to a news release. Other Tampa Bay-area locations include Westchase, Brandon and New Port Richey.

The clinic “emphasizes compassion, affordability and convenience…by bridging the gap between primary practices and 24-hour convenience,” the company said.

It’s open nights, weekend and holidays for mild illnesses and minor injuries, as well as emergencies that don’t require hospitalization.

The new St. Petersburg location is 2,600 square feet with three exam rooms exclusively for small dogs, two for large dogs and one for cats.

“Tampa’s UrgentVet-Westchase was our very first Florida location, so the Tampa Bay area has always been special to us,” Dr. Jim Dobies, UrgentVet founder, said. “After adding an additional clinic in Hillsborough and one in Pasco, we knew we wanted to establish a presence in Pinellas, and this spot in Tyrone could not be more perfect.”

One factor that certainly impacted the decision to expand to St. Pete, Dr. Dobies added, was the distinction the city achieved when it was named America’s most dog-friendly city in August of last year.

The new clinic is intentionally outfitted with non-slip flooring, dimmable lighting, soothing colors, soft music, calming pheromones and quiet exam lift tables. It also has revolutionary tempered glass pet enclosures from Casco that are 70 (percent) quieter than metal cages, the company said.

All staff members at the clinic also receive unique training to become Fear-Free-certified professionals.

As is the case with all UrgentVet locations, the clinic’s treatment area features an in-house laboratory and state-of-the-art equipment, including digital radiography and ultrasound technology.