BELLEVUE (NBC 26) — BluePearl Pet Hospital, the Green Bay area's only 24/7 emergency pet hospital, is closing its Bellevue location next week.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It will take pet owners more than 40 minutes to drive from downtown Green Bay to the nearest 24/7 emergency pet hospital
Staff members at Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary said that commute will have a significant impact on local shelters and pet owners across our area.
"It can definitely hurt some of the cats here, not having emergency care," Joshua Jablonsky, Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary general manager, said.
Jablonsky is also a pet owner, who said Blue Pearl Pet Hospital's decision to move out of Green Bay is concerning.
"It's just an absolute necessity to have some sort of 24-hour care because you never know what's going to happen," Jablonsky said.
A BluePearl spokesperson released a statement regarding the move:
We have an important update for our community. Starting February 21, our hospital will be joining BluePearl Fox Valley, located at 4706 New Horizons Blvd., Appleton, WI 54914 .
Our trusted team will continue to provide the same care you’ve come to expect, just in a new location.
We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for you and your pets. If you have any questions or need assistance with your pet’s medical records, please contact us.
Thank you for your continued trust and support—we look forward to continuing to care for your pets.
The fox valley location is in Appleton at 4706 W New Horizons Blvd., which is longer trek south for people like Jablonksy, who said that in an emergency every second counts.
"Time is of the essence when it comes to those. We live out in New Franken ,so that's like an hour, 15 minutes, an hour-and-a- half just down to Appleton and that's on good roads," Jablonsky said.
"Having a gameplan is really important at this time," Elizabeth Feldhausen, Safe Haven Pet Sanctuay owner and founder, said.
Feldhausen said the center has an on-site vet three days a week, but they still rely on BluePearl on days the vet is not there.
"People are having to drive to Milwaukee, Madison just because the BluePearl we have in Appleton currently does get to a point where they can no longer accept because they've gotten so busy," Feldhausen said. "People definitely need to be prepared and know where they're going to go if something happens with their animal."
BluePearl said consolidated services at the Fox Valley location will officially begin on Feb. 21.
Staff members at Safe Haven said it will be the only 24/7 pet emergency location in the Fox Valley area.
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
BluePearl Pet Hospital is located near the intersection of I-43 and Main Street on Lime Kiln Road. According to the company, the Bellevue location is set to merge with the Fox Valley location in Appleton.
The closure means Green Bay area pet owners will have to face a longer commute if their pet is facing an emergency after hours — as there are no other 24/7 pet hospitals serving the Greater Green Bay Area.
