Emergency Veterinary Hospital Planned for Southeast
By Andrew Vitelli
Pet owners in Putnam may soon have an emergency hospital for their animals in Brewster.
Jason Berg, a Yonkers-based veterinary neurologist, plans to open a veterinary hospital on Hardscrabble Heights Drive in Southeast, near the Brewster Ice Arena. On Sep. 29, the Southeast Town Board voted to issue Berg’s Guardian Veterinary Management, LLC a special permit to develop the hospital.
“There are no emergency hospitals for animals in this area, or in Putnam County,” Jamie LoGiudice, an architect for Insite Engineering, said in a presentation to the town board. “Having this facility in Putnam will be a great advantage to many pet owners and also will bring a nice monetary value to the community for those who drop off their pets.”
Berg, who has worked as a board- certified veterinarian since 2000, opened the Animal Specialty Center veterinary hospital in Yonkers in 2008 with partner Richard Joseph. He sold his half of the center earlier this year, he said, but he is continuing to work at the center until the new hospital opens.
The Brewster hospital, Berg said, will treat mostly dogs and cats, with the bulk of clients referred by primary care veterinarians but with someone on staff around the clock for emergencies. The hospital is expected to have 25 to 30 employees and up to 20 clients during its busiest hours, LoGiudice said.
Site improvements will be limited, LoGiudice added, including the addition of a handicap ramp and some changes to the parking lot. LoGiudice said that while the hospital might increase traffic slightly in the area, she did not anticipate any adverse impact for neighbors. Animals will be housed indoors, though dogs will at times be walked outside.
The town board voted 4-0 to approve the permit, with Councilmember Lynne Eckardt abstaining. Eckardt’s abstention was based on a procedural objection rather than opposition to the project; she called it a “good project” but felt the board should not vote on approving the permit the same night a public hearing on the topic was held and should instead wait until its next meeting to vote.
Berg must still go back to the Planning Board for final approval. Berg said he hopes to start construction in November and to have the hospital open sometime in the spring.
Berg, who was named the best neurologist in New York Magazine’s “Best Vets” issue, has performed thousands of animal surgeries ranging from correcting disc ruptures in Dachshunds to performing brain surgeries. Berg received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Texas A&M University.
