
(Photo courtesy of www.austinurbanvet.com)
In a city where health and fitness are a high priority, it is no surprise that Austinites also expect the same for their pets. The Austonian took this into consideration when partnering with Austin Urban Vet Center to provide pet care and services for residents when the building is complete this June.
In order to learn more about the new downtown company, we asked manager Becky Perez to share some information about Austin Urban Vet Center’s services as the luxury provider of pet care services to The Austonian residents.
You have included satellite locations of Dirty Dog, Groovy Dog Bakery, Lofty Dog, and Upper Paw. Where did this idea to combine the various services into a single space originate?
Dr. Erin Homburg has had the idea for a veterinary hospital that filled multiple niches for pet care since the beginning of her veterinary career. When Dr. Greg Biehle approached her in 2008 after having found a 12,000 square foot building in downtown Austin, Dr. Homburg knew exactly what she wanted to do. Both Dr. Biehle and Dr. Homburg felt strongly about wanting to support local pet care businesses and thus entered into a partnership with Dirty Dog, Groovy Dog Bakery and Lofty Dog.
How did each of these companies become involved with the venture?
Dr. Homburg sought out local businesses that she had had positive experiences with in the past and shared her thoughts about the Austin Urban Vet Center concept.
Which service do you feel will be most appealing to customers?
It's difficult to say specifically because every aspect of our business is important to different clients for different reasons but our playcare has been very popular thus far. Our playcare provides a safe, fun, familiar home away from home where owners can check in on their dogs at their leisure and the dogs can let go and be dogs.
What special services will your company be providing for the pets of The Austonian?
Residents at The Austonian have the opportunity to send their pets to our center through pet care and taxi services offered by Lofty Dog for office visits, grooming, boarding and play days.
What do you feel takes the services you offer above that of other local competitors?
The Upper Paw Pet Resort is a unique, all-inclusive pet experience that takes playcare and boarding to the next level. Included in our individual pet suites are webcams, TV's, pet cots and plenty of toys. Each stay includes Capstar flea preventative, freshen-up baths and a morning of playcare.
As many of you are new Austin residents yourselves, why was the downtown location chosen?
We chose the downtown location because there was a need for convenient veterinary and pet care services for the growing downtown community.
What is your favorite aspect of the neighborhood?
Everyone has been very welcoming and the downtown community seems very close knit. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response from both neighborhood businesses and residents.
What aspects of the new business venture do you most look forward to?
Continuing to meet new clients and patients that we can build lasting relationships with.