Veg ER for Pets has opened a 5,000-square-foot, 24/7 veterinary emergency hospital in Etobicoke, marking what it says is the first location of its kind in the Toronto area and part of a broader North American network that now spans 121 hospitals.
Dr. Annie Kwok, medical director of the Etobicoke facility, said the new site reflects the company’s focus on accessibility, visibility and an open-concept model designed to differentiate it within the veterinary emergency market.
“We’re a completely open concept, so our pet parents can stay alongside their pets for every phase of treatment, including surgery and overnight hospitalization,” Kwok said in an interview.
The hospital is located next to CF Sherway Gardens, in the same plaza as Best Buy, Winners and Home Depot, with direct access from the Gardiner Expressway. Kwok said the site was chosen deliberately.
“Accessibility and visibility,” she said when asked about the location decision. “The area is definitely high traffic and our goal is to be available, 24/7, to pet parents from virtually anywhere within the GTA. So we wanted to make it where the location was easy to find, easy to see and easy to access.”
Expansion milestone
The Etobicoke hospital is part of a chain founded in 2014 by emergency veterinarian Dr. David Bessler and co-founder David Glattstein. Kwok said the company has grown to 121 hospitals, most of them in the United States.
“About 10 years ago, he looked at what we were doing in emergency medicine and thought to himself that something needed to change,” Kwok said of Bessler. “So he tried to enact that change.”
Roughly 12 years after that initial push for reform, the company has reached what Kwok described as “location number 121,” with Toronto representing its first entry into this market.
While the broader network is U.S.-based, Kwok emphasized that the Etobicoke hospital is staffed locally.
“Everyone here at this hospital is Canadian,” she said. “We want to focus on being in the community and we find community outreach really important.”
The company is currently concentrating its Canadian strategy on Toronto, with possible further expansion under consideration.
“We’re focusing on Toronto now. Hopefully in the future we can continue looking at bringing this to other areas of need in Canada,” Kwok said.
Operational model and services
The Etobicoke hospital offers emergency care, urgent care, hospitalization, surgery, blood transfusions, X-rays, ultrasounds and endoscopy. Kwok said the facility treats “anything that walks in through the front door except for venomous animals and primates.”
At approximately 5,000 square feet, the hospital is designed to be larger and more open than some traditional veterinary emergency clinics, Kwok said.
“For a veterinary emergency hospital, we’re probably pretty nice and spacious,” she said. “And that’s intentional. We want it nice and big and open so we can have comfortable arrangements for our pet parents to stay and really give that transparency to have people see everything going on.”
The open-concept layout allows pet owners to remain with their animals during treatment, including surgery and overnight stays, an approach Kwok said aligns with the company’s founding philosophy of changing how emergency veterinary medicine is delivered.
“Our hope and goal is to be that place in the community that people can feel safe going to and can trust us,” she said.
Community focus and charitable component
In addition to clinical services, the Etobicoke location participates in an initiative called Veg Cares, described by Kwok as a nonprofit donation fund used to assist pets in need.
Kwok said the Toronto operation is focused on serving what she characterized as a niche need for this type of emergency care model in the area.
While the company’s long-term Canadian footprint remains undefined, Kwok indicated that further growth would depend on identifying additional areas of demand.
“Hopefully in the future, we can continue looking at bringing this to other areas of need in Canada,” she said.
BUILD IT led the construction of the first VEG ER for Pets location in Canada. Leveraging its experience in healthcare and specialized commercial construction, the firm delivered another successful project as part of its growing veterinary and healthcare portfolio.
More from Retail Insider:
- PetSmart launches monthly pet birthday events
- PetSmart Charities of Canada donates $100K to feed hungry pets
