'I don't get stressed anymore': Mobile vet clinic relieves overwhelmed clinics in Charlotte – WCNC.com

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A nationwide veterinarian shortage is taking a toll on the care pets receive, but a new company is helping pet owners in the Charlotte area receive at-home care. 
This new approach is seeking solutions to understaffed facilities that can’t care for all the pets coming through the doors, as well as the mental health of overwhelmed veterinarians. The Vets come straight to your door and the company says this service should alleviate long wait times and make doctors happy about having help. 
“Ever since COVID, things completely changed,” Nick Gragtmans said. “Having the Vets come to my home and take care of my animal is just very convenient.” 
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But it goes beyond convenient service. 
“Veterinary medicine, I’m not going to lie, it’s in crisis,” Dr. Stephanie Wolf said. 
Right now, animal hospitals and clinics across the country are at a breaking point. Facilities are facing too many appointments and not enough staff to handle the load. Many vets are facing burnout from the emotional rollercoaster. 
“You’ll go in one room and give really bad news, then the next room you’re delivering puppies,” Wolf said. “It’s really emotionally intense, where here I can take the time I need with each client.” 
When Wolf started her career 10 years ago, she was prepared for the intensity of working with sick animals. But with the industry’s current challenges, she knew it was time for a change. 
“This job, I cannot be happy enough,” she said. “I don’t get stressed anymore.”
Wolf now works for The Vets, a new pet care business that offers checkups, sick visits and immunizations in the comfort of home. And while they don’t offer emergency services, they believe they’re helping the overwhelmed system. 
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“We’re able to keep the emergency clinic less busy and take on some of those care cases that don’t need that escalation, which is honestly about 80% of what you end up seeing,” Wolf said. “I would say only 5% of what I saw was a true emergency right now.”
It’s a company providing proactive care while also taking care of the people who take care of our furry friends. 
“I have this deep love for animals,” Wolf said. “I feel like this was what I was meant to do.” 
A veterinarian said they try to provide same-day care, but they usually get to most cats and dogs in about four days. 
Contact Lexi Wilson at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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