A visit to Firehouse Animal Health Centers’ newest hospital serves as a healing experience for pets and a learning experience for their owners.
The Austin, Texas, hospital — the fifth in the Firehouse network — allows clients to watch from behind a glass wall as their dog or cat is treated. The exposed treatment room “eliminates the fear factor for pet owners who often don’t know what’s happening to their pet in the back,” Firehouse reported.
Clients also are invited to watch as their pet’s blood work is spun in a centrifuge and view the patient’s bacteria under a microscope.
The interactive learning lab was part of the original blueprint.
“Firehouse came to me wanting a new space that would improve transparency,” architect Mark Hafen said.
The original Firehouse hospital, also in Austin, offers a viewing window. Two other clinics feature glass-encased surgery suites and boarding rooms.
Firehouse was founded in 2012 by two Texas A&M University graduates: CEO Jed Rogers, DVM, and chief medical officer John Faught, DVM.