An artist's rendering of the Community Veterinary Hospital when it was first proposed.
Courtesy of Oregon Humane Society
The Oregon Humane Society will expand its services with a new community veterinary hospital opening this weekend in Portland.
Nationwide, veterinary practices have faced worker shortages and burnout. And as the price of vet care continues to rise, some pet owners are having a hard time keeping up with costs.
Stephen Kochis, chief medical officer of the Oregon Humane Society, said he hopes pet owners will come to the hospital for primary care services.
“Everything from surgery, dentistry, preventative health care, and even urgent care,” he said. “You’ve got a sick pet who needs to be seen, in the same day or within the next day or two, we kind of want to be all of those things to the community.”
Services will be offered on a sliding scale to help low-income pet owners.
The hospital, at 7865 NE 14th Place, is slated to open Sunday and is already accepting appointments.
Kochis discussed the expansion with “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the conversation: