VALDOSTA – Pet care is around the clock at Valdosta Veterinary Associates, a local 24-hour animal hospital that has been in business since late 2019.

The hospital was mobile-only prior to opening its brick-and-mortar Nov. 12, 2020, at 3815 Old U.S. 41 North.

Establishing the hospital marked the first time co-owners Bonne Mount and Jillian Courson have owned a business.

Mount graduated from veterinarian school in 2008 while Courson is a 2018 veterinarian school graduate.

To be a veterinarian, they both said a person must be motivated and be an animal lover.

“I think every veterinarian certainly loves animals and loves doing what we can to help animals and be sympathetic towards animal owners and pet parents,” Mount said. “To become a veterinarian is strenuous academic work.”

Valdosta Veterinary Associates operates on four shifts. In addition to its estimated 25 employees, the hospital has three four-legged staff members.

Courson’s personal dog, Belle, greets customers while her other dog, Rookie, is training to become an animal blood donor. Hopper is the “hospital mascot” who acts as an emotional support dog, Courson said.

By chance, initially offering mobile services assisted them in being prepared to run their hospital during the pandemic.

“As the building was being built, we were doing mobile practice part of the time, so we were able to go to people’s homes,” Mount said. “They appreciated that they didn’t have to get out necessarily but we were still taking safety precautions coming to their homes, and so, that actually built some clientele.”

Valdosta Veterinary Associates services Lowndes County and others within the South Georgia/North Florida region. The hospital has five exam rooms, two surgical rooms, a triage area, an intensive-care unit, a comfort room, a radiology room and a kennel for boarding.

The hospital and the kennel run on two separate ventilation systems, which Courson said is essential.

Pets with special needs, such as those that are diabetic, are housed away from others; cats and dogs are housed separately, as well.

The comfort room, which sits off of the reception area and includes a couch, is used by families who wish to spend time with their pets who are in critical care, and the space is also used to put pets down, Courson said.

When pets are put down, a faux candle resting near the hospital’s entryway is lit and a sign reminds people to remain silent out of respect for the families.

There are three exam tables in triage.

“The initial triage really happens as they come through the door for emergencies,” Mount said. “Our receptionists are trained to recognize certain situations that would require immediate attention, and they notify the veterinarian technicians and the veterinarian nurse. … We get them straight back here.”

The hospital accepts both call-ins and walk-ins for emergency services. The call-ins allow the staff advanced time to prepare for the pet’s arrival. The intensive-care unit will later see an expansion but currently has two large spaces used to house more sizable dogs, a room to care for pets deemed to be more critical care than others and a room for pets that are in lesser critical care condition.

An outdoors kennel daycare is equipped with a doggie pool in the shape of a bone. Outdoor fans help cool down the play area.

Other hospital services include radiology, laser therapy, ultrasound, dental X-rays and lab testing.

More information: facebook.com/vva247; valdostaveterinaryassociates@gmail.com; and (229) 834-8387.