It's been a very long 15 months for us as we have weathered the COVID-19 storm in the veterinary profession. It's been a difficult year for all of us and we are hopeful to get things back to where they once were. As mask mandates and restrictions are being lifted, we find ourselves answering lots of questions from our clients as to how we are handling our appointments and the way we do business going forward.
Clients now have the option of coming in for their pet's appointment or staying in the car while their pet is seen inside. Please know that even though we are letting clients into the building, we are still taking all necessary precautions to keep everyone safe. Please continue reading for our updated procedures:
Our main lobby/waiting room remains closed, and we are still requiring all clients to call us from the parking lot to check-in for all appointments. Our receptionists will ask if you wish to come in for your pet's appointment or if you would like to remain outside in your car.
If clients choose to come in for their appointment, our staff will go out to your vehicle to get you and your pet and bring you directly into a room. If you wish to remain curbside, our staff will bring your pet inside. Once your in-person appointment is finished, clients are able to check-out at the reception desk, or those who remained curbside will get a phone call from our receptionists to settle the bill.
We ask that you help us keep everyone safe and healthy. Please do your part by notifying us if you're not feeling well or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, congestion, runny nose, etc). We will require that your appointment remains curbside if you are ill. If our staff can visibly tell that you are sick, we also reserve the right to require that your appointment remain curbside or require you to reschedule.
Masks are optional when coming into the clinic. We want everyone to feel comfortable and safe while they are here during their pet's appointments, and we are monitoring the CDC recommendations closely for any changes. Some clients have chosen to continue wearing them inside, and some staff members continue to wear masks as well. Please be respectful of others' personal space when visiting us, and respectful of their decision to wear a mask or not.
If you are picking up medication or food, please continue to call to let us know you've arrived. We now have a new prescription pick-up window available for clients to pick up medications located closest to the main lobby entrance.
Now that clients are allowed in the building for appointments, this does not change our appointment availability. We understand there are many clients whose pets are overdue for their exams and vaccines by a year or more since they chose to wait until we were allowing clients back in for appointments. As of 7/14/21, we are currently booked until late August for wellness exams. If you wish to set up an appointment, please call us as soon as possible so we can get you on the schedule as soon as possible.
Above all, we ask that you remain kind and courteous to our staff. We are currently booked out 4-6 weeks for appointments and it has been this way for over a year. We understand lack of appointments can be frustrating, and we understand that wait times during appointments can also be frustrating. The demand for veterinary services has skyrocketed over the last year as pet ownership sharply increased and veterinary practices are stretched to the limits to meet these demands. Our staff works incredibly hard every day, but there are only so many patients we can take in and still provide the attention that each pet in our care needs. We want to remind clients that if you are waiting a long time for a routine appointment or minor issue, it is likely because our staff is focused on a critical patient that needs our immediate care. Please have patience with us as our staff does our best to tend to all pets in our care. We also want to remind clients that we will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy for threatening or aggressive behavior/language towards our staff.
We thank you all again for your support and patience with us over the last 15 months. Your praise and kindness has not gone unnoticed and is deeply appreciated by all staff here at BVC. As always, we will keep you updated with any changing procedures. We are looking forward to seeing your entire, big smiling faces in our clinic once again very soon!