Madison woman credits urgent vet care

It was a terrifying night for Madison’s Beverley Henley when she realized her dog wasn’t eating or drinking and was unable to walk. 

Today, her dog has nearly recovered, thanks to the help and care of URGIVET Emergency Vets of Madison. 

Henley, a recent client of URGIVET, praised the emergency care clinic.

“I didn’t know where to take my dog, but my daughter told me URGIVET was open,” Henley said. “I called and the owner, Dr. Spencer Mills himself, answered the phone. He’s treated my dog and we’re going to see him again tomorrow night.”

Henley said she had no worries of her dog being taken care of at the clinic because she knew that URGIVET would come through. 

“Currently my dog is probably around 99 percent better. She’s way better now compared to when I first brought her in,” she said. “I was scared to death taking her in there, but once I saw Dr. Mills, I knew everything was going to be fine. He is the best vet around and I trust him more than any other vet I’ve seen.”  

URGIVET recently opened in Madison during August of this year, and is accepting sick and injured pets at all hours of the night to fill in the time gap of when normal clinics are closed. 

Dr. Mills, owner of URGIVET and a vet in Madison for almost five years, said he was inspired to create the clinic due to there being very few emergency care clinics in the area. 

“There’s a lot of pets that get sick or injured at night and on the weekends, and there’s not a lot of options around here,” Mills said. “It could be a very pressing matter for your pet, which can worsen overnight. That’s what we’re here for.”

Mills said URGIVET is the best place for pets in bad shape to be taken care of, since the facility has access to new state-of-the-art equipment for quality treatments. 

“There’s a lot of things we have that normal clinics don’t, such as oxygen cages, advanced blood machines, and ultrasound,” he said. “Our focus is on clients that come in after hours and on weekends, so if anything comes up out of the blue, we’re ready for it.”

Mills said URGIVET offers more of a personal touch, as bringing in an animal that’s very sick or injured can be very stressful for the client. 

“We send updates to clients throughout the night as we’re taking care of their pet,” he said. “We send pictures, texts, and even FaceTime clients so they know their furry friend is okay and won’t be worried all night about their condition.”

Mills noted that URGIVET’s success rate is very good and they’re having to hire more employees every week as the number of clients continues to rise. 

“When it comes to us being successful with patients, it’s important to remember to not wait to bring them in,” he said. “If you think something could be wrong, act on it. 12 hours could be the difference between life and death.”

Mills added that he’s hand-selected the members of the team from the doctors to the technicians. 

“I chose people who have a similar approach to patient care as I do, so the entirety of the staff at the clinic is cohesive and has the same set of goals,” he said.  

Melissa Calmes, certified vet technician at URGIVET, has been working with the clinic since it opened. 

“I started in August about a week after it opened. Working here is awesome and nothing like anything I’ve done before. It’s very thrilling,” Calmes said. “It’s always a different case with each patient so it’s something new and challenging every time.” 

Calmes said URGIVET is a one-of-a-kind clinic and one of the best places she’s ever worked. 

“It is by far the nicest clinic I’ve ever worked at. It’s amazing working with Dr. Mills and we have some of the best tech, doctors, and staff,” she said. “The only challenge is making sure you have a proper sleep schedule for this kind of job.”

Colette Christian, another client, brought her dog to URGIVET since it had stopped moving and wasn’t drinking. 

“Dr. Mills came right out to the car, took her in, and spent a long time talking to me and was very reassuring,” Christian said. “He said he would do whatever it took to take care of my dog. They put her in an oxygen cage and gave her medicine. It was a process I had never really seen before.” 

Christian was very complimentary of Dr. Mills and the clinic and how loving they’ve been while taking care of her dog. 

“They’re wonderful, and the facility is so clean and beautiful,” she said. “If you’re looking for somewhere to take your pet, take them here.”

A very recent client, Kim Reed, brought in her dog this past week. 

“I was immediately greeted with kindness and a very friendly staff when I brought my dog in, and I didn’t have to wait very long with my appointment,” Reed said. “Dr. Mills was very energetic when taking care of the dog, and I knew everything would be fine.” 

Reed said her dog immediately warmed up to Dr. Mills, and she couldn’t think of anywhere else to leave her dog overnight. 

“Dr. Mills texted me a video after I left updating me, and my dog was licking his face and cuddling up next to him,” she said. “I could tell my dog felt very comfortable with him and didn’t want to be around anyone else. He and all of the staff treated my pet like a family member.”

Reed said she didn’t know of anyone who went above and beyond with their care like Dr. Mills. 

“I wish URGIVET was both a normal clinic and urgent care clinic so I could take my dog there all the time,” she said. “It’s very affordable and worth your time.”

URGIVET is located on 15 Olympic Way, and is open from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 24 hours during the weekends.