Lucy looked quite comfy as she arrived for her appointment, as the golden doodle puppy seamlessly made the switch from her “mom” Tresa Marrow’s arms to veterinary technician Raquel Arenas at the door of VCA Northside Animal Hospital in Bethlehem.

This scene on a late February afternoon has been the norm for almost a year: all appointments have been curbside since March 2020.

According to BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, which has 95 practices across 27 U.S. states, now more than ever, people are recognizing and appreciating the human-animal bond. As more people work from home due to COVID-19, pet owners feel more connected to and aware of their pets’ emotional and physical health.

BluePearl, founded in 1996, noted a 2020 Banfield survey showed 84 percent of pet owners felt more tuned in to their pets’ needs – and as a result, 67 percent planned to make changes in how they cared for their animals post-pandemic. In a follow up survey, they found nearly 70 percent of pet owners have turned to their pets as a way to de-stress amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Local veterinarians have certainly witnessed the boost in the bond between pet owners and their pets in the age of COVID-19, and veterinarians throughout the area have been extremely busy.

VCA Northside

Animal Hospital

“Most clients, even through the pandemic, are comfortable coming to VCA Northside,” said hospital Manager Ashley Covington. When arriving for an appointment, pet owners call the office and tell the staff the number of their parking spot. A veterinary technician will ask some questions on the phone, then the pet is brought to the appointment curbside. After the appointment, the veterinary technician will explain the exam findings and give a plan for the pet. Clients may text to pay with no contact.

The staff wears masks and disinfects surfaces between appointments. All COVID-19 protocols are followed.

“With people working from home, or maybe they’ve lost their job, they are paying more attention to their pets, such as noticing an odd behavior, and want an appointment,” Covington said. “Many have also wanted a companion, so we’ve seen lots of new puppies and kittens.”

Covington said patient visits were down for a month or two at the beginning of the pandemic, but by May, “more people were comfortable leaving home and everyone wanted an appointment.”

As VCA Northside had a three-to-four-week wait for an appointment, it referred some clients to Valley Central Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, Whitehall, a 24-hour emergency center, and even there a four-day wait for an appointment happened at times. It still refers clients there as needed, as well as to Eastern Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Center, Allentown, also a 24-hour emergency center.

VCA Northside had hoped to reopen for clients to come inside with pets with COVID-19 protocols like temperature checks in place, but delayed that to be safe when the surge hit in October.

Covington said wait times for annual checkups and vaccines is three weeks, “although we can typically get sick patients in same day or next day, but that is not always guaranteed.”

Covington said the staff misses people bringing their pets in for appointments and giving meds to clients.

“We like interacting with people,” she said. “It’s sad for the people working here that we have no interaction, and it’s sad because people don’t get to be with their pets through the appointment.”

Dr. Jessica Russell is medical director, and typically the hospital has three to four doctors, but Covington said it’s very different now. She said thankfully they do have relief doctors, but the hospital is in need of doctors and is seeking applicants. Normally there are 20 employees, but now there are 13 to 14; some part-time employees are on hold, and it is a second job for most of them.

“There is an overwhelming need for veterinary care,” Covington said.

The staff typically sees 20 to 30 pets a day for appointments or surgery. When the hospital is fully staffed those numbers will increase. The hospital serves dogs and cats, and also offers pet grooming.

VCA, Northside’s parent company, owns veterinary hospitals throughout the country.

“We are like a primary care physician. You come in for routine care. We do perform surgery, so are considered a hospital, but if an animal needs blood they are sent to a specialty hospital or emergency center,” Covington said. “We are able to draw blood but we are not able to transplant blood.”

Euthanasia is the only kind of hospice service offered at VCA Northside.

Covington said if a client wants in-home vet care or in-home euthanasia, VCA Northside refers them to Dr. Sam’s Veterinary House Calls on Emaus Avenue in Allentown. “If a client struggles and is not able to walk, or a person is not comfortable transporting their pet, we refer them to Dr. Sam’s.”

Dr. Sam’s Veterinary House Calls

Now semi-retired, Bernie Franceski was a veterinary technician at VCA Northside for 25 years. She now works there part-time, as well as with Dr. Sam twice a week.

“It’s different. I just love it. Dr. Sam provides a great service to people and the community,” said Franceski.

Dr. Sam is Dr. Samantha Ottinger, who has been making house calls for a decade and opened the office a year ago – just before the first COVID-19 shutdown.

The practice serves dogs and cats.

The current wait time for house call appointments is about one to two weeks; however, sometimes patients can be seen sooner. Usually patients can be seen within the week with an in- clinic appointment versus a house call visit.

In-home services include euthanasia, x-rays, drawing blood – pretty much everything that does not require surgery, which must be performed in the office, as does dental care, for which a pet must be sedated. If the pet must come to the clinic for surgery or dental care, Dr. Sam will pick up the pets and bring them back home on an as needed basis and for an additional charge for the service.

Blood transfusions can be done at the clinic, as well as obtaining blood samples for testing.

Dr. Sam offers palliative care to help a pet’s quality of life, including medicine, pain medication, pain management, environmental recommendations, diet and supplements. “We try to keep pets as happy and comfortable as possible,” Dr. Sam said.

She said 75 percent of appointments are house calls, and 25 percent are in-clinic with curbside pickup.

Dr. Sam said the impact of COVID-19, has been strongly felt in the veterinary field. “It was very difficult when this first started, but so far we’ve been lucky,” she said, particularly referring to going into people’s homes.

“We have a lot of elderly clients, and we keep our distance during house calls,” Dr. Sam said.

She said a lot of people are noticing things much sooner in regard to their pet’s health during COVID-19 as they are spending more time together in many cases. There has also been a rise in puppy adoptions.

“There can be separation anxiety for the pet when people do have to go back to work, and we’re seeing a little of that already,” Dr. Sam said.

Dr. Sam procured KN95 masks for staff, and staffers change lab coats between each in-home appointment. Owners are required to wear masks in their home during house calls. All of the doctors have been vaccinated. The practice follows all COVID-19 protocols.

“If someone is sick at all, they are not allowed to come into the clinic. They are supposed to contact us from home if they don’t feel well. They are given the choice to get COVID-19 tested or quarantine for 10 days as per CDC guidelines,” Dr. Sam said.

Dr. Sam had to furlough most of the staff during the first shutdown in March and April, when the practice was averaging two to three appointments a week. “The PPP (Payroll Protection Program) loan was a huge help,” she said as the practice strives to return to normalcy. There are a total of three doctors, with 13 people on staff.

“This has been very hard on the business aspect of it,” she said.

If a pet needs more intensive round-the-clock care, the owner is referred to a local 24-hour specialty hospital.

“Euthanasia is very difficult, and Dr. Sam provides outstanding service to clients in the community,” Franceski said. The pet’s remains are brought back to the clinic for a private creation and are delivered back to the client.

House calls are key, as “many of our clients are elderly, handicapped or don’t drive,” Franceski said.

“For a lot of people during COVID-19, most veterinarians have been curbside for a year. Lots of people use our service because they don’t want to leave their pet. We’re probably busier because of that.”

Franceski said Dr. Sam uses a fear-free technique of using cookies to get a pet on a scale, as many pets balk at doing so. “There’s no drama.” Another technique is wrapping cats in towels and swaddling them. “If they are anxious, it comforts them to swaddle them like a baby.

“People notice more things because they are home. We’ve been busy, very busy,” Franceski said.

“I was a little nervous going into people’s homes when COVID-19 started, but we’ve had no issues.

“Dr. Sam is absolutely wonderful,” Franceski said. “She built this practice up with empathy and caring. She’s phenomenal.”