06/28/2023
To My Very Dear Clients/Friends,
It absolutely breaks my heart to tell you that I am closing Vashon 4 Paws Veterinary Clinic as of today: June 28, 2023.
Having a clinic in Vashon was realizing a dream of mine that I’ve had for many years. I am so grateful to each one of you who brightened my days with your wonderful patients and your company. It has been an unbelievably fantastic experience and I am very grateful for it.
We will aid you in this transition in every way we can to make sure that your pets don’t miss any care they need.
Here is how you can help:
1. Call, email or text us as soon as you can to obtain a copy of all of your patient’s records. Provide us with your full name, your pets name (or the names of all pets in the household). Give us a current email- either yours or a veterinary clinic where you want the records transferred. You can expect them to be transferred in the next few weeks. The contact number is 206-567-7782.
2. Call the veterinary clinic of your choice and let them know the records are coming and why.
3. Check to make sure the records are delivered to either your veterinarian or your email.
4. Keep your records handy for any emergency that might arise.
5. Make a list of all the emergency clinics that are the closest to Vashon Island in case you need them. Fair Isle is quite overwhelmed already with the number of clients they are dealing with, and it is very difficult for them to take emergencies currently.
6. Call our receptionist Tiffany and obtain any refills on medications that you will need in the next 2 months. Please think about buying up our discounted stock of flea and tick control, parasite control and heartworm control so that you will have a supply to rely on. We can dispense medications to any patients that have a current annual.
7. Please feel free to text us and let us know how we can help.
8. We will be holding a couple of vaccination clinics where we will provide low-cost vaccines for our clients. Details soon.
Why? The bottom line is, we are losing money. We have lost $100,000 so far this year due to dramatic increases in supplies, medications, and staffing costs. At the same time talented and experienced staff is impossible to find and impossible to keep.
Every single veterinary clinic is short-staffed. The staff can go wherever they want; ask for the highest salaries they have ever had and stay as long as they feel like it. The ball is in the employee’s court currently, and I believe that is a good thing. The fact that we are acknowledging and honoring their services is nothing but a positive thing. But it really hurts tiny businesses like mine.
It has been a special gift to work with people on Vashon. So many of you have become close friends and so many of you care so deeply about your pets. I knew it would be a wonderful environment of conscious people that go above and beyond to help their loved ones. I shall miss each and every one of you and hope that you will stop me in the street to let me know how your pets are doing. I am currently interviewing for positions and will let everyone know where I end up.
Keep on taking great care of your pets and I really appreciate being a part of your life.
Teri Byrd DVM