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Hastings will soon be home to a dedicated after-hours vet clinic, and while vets are praising the facility, Central Hawke’s Bay pet owners feel they will now be left without a local option.
The Hawke’s Bay Urgent Care and After-Hours veterinary clinic opens on January 31, on Grays Rd and will provide overnight care for all veterinary clinics across the region.
Takapau woman Jeni Brown said the clinic’s opening coincided with the loss of their local after-hours clinic with Vet Services in Waipukurau.
Brown, who owns Sebastian, a Dachshund, and Mika, a fox terrier, said the removal of the local service would strain pets and their owners in an emergency.
“My dogs are like my children, they are my fur babies, and you want the best possible care available in the shortest possible timeframe,” Brown said.
Jeni Brown with her two dogs Mika the foxie and Sebastian the Dachshund.
She said the travel from Takapau to Hastings with a sick or injured pet was not ideal for the humans or animals involved.
“Driving an hour to Hastings is an hour that potentially the animal is going to be in excruciating pain if they have been hit by a vehicle or if it is a poison matter.”
Brown had concerns that pet owners would be forced to choose between travel and seeking help for their animals.
“An animal in pain is never going to travel well at the best of times.”
She also said there would be additional travel costs, as animals need to be picked up from the new clinic by 8am each morning.
“That is a lot of extra money and a lot of extra stress it is going to put people under.”
Vet Services group companion animal lead Caroline Robertson said she was aware there were concerns with the change, however, the new clinic would fill a critical gap and support both the veterinary profession and pet owners.
“Its establishment is crucial for the sustainability of the veterinary profession.”
She said the clinic could accommodate up to 39 animals overnight and would be the first of its kind in Hawke’s Bay.
“It has undergone a comprehensive transformation to ensure it is fully equipped to manage a wide range of emergency and urgent care situations.”
Robertson said the clinic would support the entire Hawke’s Bay region, covering a total of eight clinics.
“One of the key advantages of the dedicated after-hours clinic is the continuous monitoring of animals overnight, with a vet and nurse on site.”
The clinic will operate under a triage system and animals will be prioritised based on the urgency of their needs.
Robertson said it would reduce the pressure on individual veterinary clinics and ensure pets received the attention needed.
Central Hawke’s Bay councillor Pip Burne said she had experienced first-hand the after-hours care that had been offered through Waipukurau Vet Services.
“I had a little dog that was hit on the main road through Waipawa.”
Burne said a passing motorist took the dog into the local after-hours clinic as they were not home.
“She passed away, but she passed away humanely because someone was able to help her, whereas you imagine the pain of an extra half an hour.”
She had concerns for the district’s elderly population with pets who would have to make the journey to Hastings.
“There are plenty of people out there who don’t have the transport and with the rising cost of fuel and everything it’s going to impact a lot of people.”
It is understood a Waipukurau resident is in the early stages of setting up a transportation service for pet owners.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
