THIS IS ANOTHER REQUEST FOR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR CURRENT CLIENTS AND ALL POSSIBLE FUTURE CLIENTS OF FAMILY PET CLINIC OF REDONDO BEACH:
When the pandemic hit, a number of veterinary hospitals closed. Also, a percentage of veterinarians either decided to retire out of this stressful profession, an alarming number of them committed suicide, and many got sick and were not available to see sick animals.
Hospitals like Family Pet Clinic of Redondo Beach that were well managed (or just plain lucky) were able to keep their doors opened. We took on the burden of not only seeing our own patient base, but — as health care providers— we were mandated to also somehow fit into our already booked and double booked work days a heavy load of new demand to see sick pets. This 25% increased demand has been untenable and unavoidable. Add to that the fact that so many of our own clients rescued shelter pets and purchased puppies and kittens. We had to somehow fit in all these “COVID puppies and kittens” into our work days, as puppies and kittens need vaccines or they will get sick. We have done our best to figure out how to not allow animals to be neglected.
This increased patient load has added incredible strain to our already very “busy business”. On any given day, our receptionists triage the incoming demand and we fit in the sickest and the most urgent. We usually have 10-20 patients on our daily "work in" list. We know that often times our clients are waiting 12-15 hours at an ER to get seen for “quick care” when their pets have emergencies after hours.
All veterinarians in the entire United States have been experiencing incredible levels of compassion fatigue, exhaustion, personal stress, and our suicide rate has sky rocketed. My team has been absolute warriors for sticking with Family Pet Clinic through these very trying and extraordinary times. Please be patient with us. If we do not return your phone call immediately, or your email goes unanswered for a few days, please know that it is because we are already overwhelmed with our current work load.
We are not being lazy and intentionally neglecting our very important duties as health care providers.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kimberly Daffner