Bernie Mac, a 7-year-old Bernese mountain dog, was very ill.
“Out of nowhere, he got sick at about 8 p.m.,” said his owner, Adriane Fleig. “He started throwing up foam, so we let him outside. When he came in again, he was crying and shaking and foaming at the mouth.”
And so began a Kafkaesque night of phone calls, car trips, voicemails, frantic Google searches, anguished social media pleas, misleading websites, unsympathetic receptionists, and mounting anxiety.
For years, Toledo-area residents relied on MedVet on Douglas Road for after-hours emergency veterinary care.
But sometime in the summer of 2024, that practice was forced by a shortage of veterinarians to curtail its hours — and it seemed to Ms. Fleig that many people hadn’t gotten the word.
The practice now operates on an irregular schedule and has confusing information on its website.
“If your pet is facing an emergency, you can come directly to our hospital 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — no appointment is needed,“ reads the practice’s website. “Our team is here 24 hours a day, seven days a week every day of the year to provide comprehensive care to dogs and cats.”