In September 2018 Union Veterinary Clinic (609 Second St. NE) broke ground on an addition that will nearly double its square footage. The addition, expected to be completed in the fall of 2019, will add 1300 square feet to the rear of the building, allowing the clinic to provide faster service to their clients, said manager and part owner Ry Huegel.
Union Vet was opened 17 years ago by Huegel’s father Bruce Herwald and Dr. Julie Giles, who was then a well-known and well-loved veterinarian in the area. When Dr. Giles passed away in 2009 due to complications of Multiple Sclerosis, another Union Vet veterinarian Allison Gross took over as hospital director. She and Huegel met at Union Vet, where he was working as a veterinarian technician, four years earlier. The rest, as they say, is history.
Clinic services include regular preventative appointments, dental and surgical care as well as laser therapy and a fully-stocked pharmacy, but also serves a particular need for pets in the community. Open seven days a week, the clinic will see walk-in clients without appointment.
“Sometimes, it means things run less smoothly, but it means pets have the attention they might not otherwise get,” he said.
The addition will facilitate faster and better care of clients, Huegel says. “Our goal isn’t necessarily to grow our business any more, as it is to improve how we’re taking care of our clients now,” he explains.
When complete, the expansion will double the number of exam and treatment rooms, allowing more pets to receive care simultaneously and helping to cut down on wait times. The addition also includes a new doctor’s office and four additional dog runs.
All the exam rooms will be equipped with wireless point of sale machines so that patients can check out independently, rather than having to wait for a cashier after they are seen.
Upon completion, the addition will be celebrated with a grand opening open house, and clients will be able to tour the new space and attend a famous Union Vet Yappy Hour celebration, with treats and drinks for pets and pet families alike.
The addition has been in the works for more than five years, and Huegel said the staff is very excited.
“It’s exciting that it’s actually happening,” Huegel said, “We’ll be able to see more people, more quickly. We’re a small family owned business and it’s exciting to be growing and taking care of our clients better.”
Learn more about Union Veterinarian Clinic and its services by visiting their website at https://unionvetclinic.com/, by calling 202-544-2500, by emailing frontdesk@unionvetclinic.com or by walking in at 609 Second St. NE.
