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close25 years of service Now, 24 hours of care
As more pet owners expect veterinary staff to be on hand overnight, Sumner Veterinary Hospital meets that need with 24-hour emergency and critical care
Roxanne Cooke
Like their human owners, pets can get sick and seriously injured. And just like humans, it doesn’t necessarily happen according to anyone’s schedule — including the vet’s.
For East Pierce pet owners, the closest vet hospital with staff on hand 24/7 is in Tacoma, said Dr. Kathy Sheeran, owner of Sumner Veterinary Hospital. That will change on April 1, when Sheeran’s practice becomes a 24-hour clinic.
“Really, it’s the community need” that drove the decision, said Sheeran, who is a staff veterinarian and the hospital’s medical director.
In pet emergencies, driving all the way to Tacoma can take up to an hour for some of her clients, Sheeran said. That’s a long time to wait before having a vet examine the animal and help remedy the problem.
“An hour is often not adequate,” she said.
Local residents will have a shorter drive when Sumner Veterinary Hospital staff is available at all hours of the day. Newly hired veterinarians with special training in emergency and critical care will staff the hospital from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., and the hospital’s regular staff will remain available during regular hours.
Emergency visits are currently accepted during normal office hours, and vets at the Sumner Veterinary Hospital are trained to handle those situations, Sheeran said. The hospital has been open seven days a week since the late 1980s.
Right now, staff is on hand from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and doctors are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., she said. But from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., only animals occupy the building, a concern for pet owners whose dogs or cats may be sick and need to stay overnight.
Transferring a sick animal to the 24-hour Tacoma clinic was an option, but it would mean a person’s pet was farther away from home, Sheeran said. More and more pet owners are expecting veterinary staff to be on hand at all times so that a pet staying overnight never has to be alone.
That’s good news for pet owner Sharon Senn, who owns The Collectable Cat gift shop in downtown Sumner. Her cat Hunter goes to work with her every day, but she also has a few more cats at home — and she said it’s nice to know that if there’s an emergency, there’s someone nearby.
“To have one now that is so close to home is just wonderful,” Senn said. “I just think it’s great for the surrounding community and the animals that are going to be helped by it.”
Local vet clinics have been supportive of the 24-hour change, Sheeran said. It means they can refer clients to the Sumner Veterinary Hospital for overnight stays or for emergencies that occur when their clinics aren’t open.
“Our local vets have been excited about it,” Sheeran said.
At the moment, Sheeran and her staff are working on spreading the word, ordering new equipment and getting ready for the changes. As the service grows, more vets will be hired and eventually the new vets working the night shift will be available at all hours.
Sheeran had wanted to start the 24-hour service last year when the clinic celebrated its 24th year under her ownership, but staff needed more time to find experienced staff to work overnight.
The longtime vet purchased the Sumner Veterinary Hospital in 1983, shortly after graduating from Texas A&M University and working a few years at a South Hill vet clinic. She grew up in Texas on a cattle ranch, so responsibility was a normal part of life, she said. It didn’t occur to her that buying a veterinary practice at the age of 25 was ambitious.
“I just felt natural about owning my veterinary business,” said Sheeran, who is now 50. The clinic celebrated 25 years this month.
In addition to standard veterinary hospital services and the upcoming 24-hour emergency and critical care, Sumner Veterinary Hospital offers lodging, pet day care, training and rehabilitation.