Business: Veterinary Emergency Group
Address: 3204 Route 59, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-503-7415, www.veterinaryemergencygroup.com
Hospital manager: Diane Pruski-Elmer, 45, of Aurora
Field emergency educator: Veterinarian Mike Quigley, 57, of Muskego, Wisconsin
Years in business: Seven months in Naperville
What does your business do? “We are essentially an emergency veterinary hospital that’s open around the clock. We never close,” Pruski-Elmer said. “We try to help you and your pet when you need it the most. If you think it’s an emergency, we will do our best to help you.”
What are your duties? “I’m in charge of the culture, the client experience. The clients and the people who work here.”
Veterinarian assistant Sydney Riggs checks the heartbeat of Fozzie, a golden doodle brought in for treatment at Veterinary Emergency Group in Naperville, while customer experience coordinator Samantha Nuno gets information from owner Andrea Phillips. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)
What’s your background? “I come from retail. Clothing. I was a store manager for more than 20 years. … I learned of this job from LinkedIn. … I feel that I’m doing something helpful. … It’s a rewarding field.”
How many employees do you have? “It fluctuates. Thirty to 35 now.”
Do you have other locations nearby? “There are two (in Chicago), Lincoln Park and South Loop. One in Oakbrook. Buffalo Grove opened in February. The first one (in 2014) was in White Plains, New York. Now we’re up to 78 locations (nationwide). … Dr. David Bessler is our founder.”
How’s it going here? “Good,” Quigley said. “I think I have the best job. … My job is to make (employees) think. I will work with other doctors, give them medical support, on-site or they can contact me. Text, call or zoom.”
What do you like about your job? “Every day is different. Everybody is appreciative of what we can do for them. … I think it’s pretty great,” Pruski-Elmer said.
Do you see mostly dogs? “We’ve seen dogs, cats, birds, lizards, a pet skunk that had its glands removed. A tiny baby goat. Chinchillas,” she said.
What happens when someone brings in their pet? “Someone meets you at the door. A nurse will get the vitals. A doctor will make sure (the pet) is stable. … Sometimes, the pets are over-anxious. We have private rooms for that and they’re fine.”
How do you handle treating the over-anxious animals? “If a dog doesn’t want to be on the (exam) table, we’ll sit on the floor with them. I have photographs of some of my doctors doing laceration repairs on dogs. They were sewing up the dog on the floor.”
Why are cats brought in here? “We’ve done surgeries on cats. They like to eat string. … Some male cats get to the point where they can’t pee. That’s life threatening.”
What sort of challenges do you face? “There’s VCA (Aurora Animal Hospital), which is also open 24/7. But we are the only one with a completely open concept. You can go to an exam room with your pet. You can see what’s going on.”
Why do you have the open concept? “We prefer to have (the pet owners) out here so they can be a part of everything,” Quigley said. “See what’s going on. That’s why you don’t see many exam rooms here.”
Do people have health insurance for pets? “They do,” Pruski-Elmer said. “And, we have payment plans.”
Any plans for the future? “They’re exploring areas to open new locations.”
What was in this building before? “A mattress store.”
When are you the busiest? “Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays. It’s more or less when the general (veterinary) practices are closed. After treatment here, our doctors will email instructions to you and to your vet.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “I would say stay true to your core values. That’s what got me into VEG itself. Openness, togetherness, meaningful moments and heroic helping.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
