ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — When you walk into the new Veterinary Emergency Group location on Ina and Oracle, you'll notice it's not your typical emergency room.
"Pets often do better with their parents around," ER veterinarian Sarah Carotenuto told KGUN 9.
"The idea is, in an emergency situaiton you can stay with your pet the entire time," explained Carotenuto. "Even if you want to watch surgery, you can watch it from start to finish."
This open-floor concept is accesible 365 days out of the year.
As a "dog mom" herself, Heidi knows how difficult it is to find a vet—let alone one that's open all day and night. When asked if she thinks a center like this is a big need in our community Medical Director Chelsie Narito answered, "Absolutely. We needed this months ago."
This ER vet will also provide benefits up the road to the students at the University of Arizona's College of Veterinary Medicine, also located in Oro Valley.
"This is going to be a great training ground for students as we get rolling, so that they can come in and see if they have an interest in emergency medicine," shared Carotenuto.
The grand opening comes at a time when a mysterious respiratory illness is being found in dogs around the country.
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While it hasn't yet been found in Arizona, experts say there are things to look out for in your furbabies.
"If they start coughing or just laying around, lethargic, some have vomiting and diarrhea and trouble breathing—especially if they've been at dog parks or groomers or any place with high traffic—those are things to look for," says ER vet Lauren Darwin.
Regardless of the illness, there are currently nine veterinarians at Veterinary Emergency Group ready to treat your pets. The new Oro Valley facility is located at 7080 N. Oracle Rd.
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Heidi Alagha is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Heidi spent 5 years as the morning anchor in Waco where she was named the best anchor team by the Texas Associated Press. Share your story ideas and important issues with Heidi by emailing heidi.alagha@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.