Above: The addition is under construction, to be completed by summer 2024.

Faced with high demand, Ocean State Veterinary Specialists on South County Trail is adding 10,000 square feet of space to their current 26,000 square feet. 

“We are expanding our ICU so we will have more space to take on more patients. The need for veterinary care is in high demand and we have outgrown our space,” said spokeswoman Lauren Gottfried-Kelly. 

She said the expanded space will house a new intensive care unit on the first floor, and additional office space and a teaching center on the second floor. 

“The demand for emergency and specialized veterinary care has been increasing,” said Gottfried-Kelly. Ocean State Vet is one of the few places in Rhode Island that offer daily 24-hour service. 

“We have been facing significant challenges in keeping up with the growing needs of the community – both due to limited space to house inpatients, and limited staff to see the number of patients needing care. The new space will nearly double the capacity for hospitalizing seriously ill patients. We are working hard to find additional emergency doctors and nurses, and the state-of-the-art intensive care unit will help attract more talented professionals to join our team.” 

Construction should be completed by summer 2024.

Ocean State Veterinary Specialists hold regular human blood drives for their employees to match their animal blood drive program, since animals need blood products just like humans. You can learn more about their animal blood bank at https://osvs.net/blood-bank/.