Bond Vet Co-Founders Mo Punjani and Lukas Keindl worked with Satchu to not just expedite telehealth services but also completely reconfigure procedures to minimize contact and prioritize safety for customers and staff. Those procedural changes included “drop off only” appointments where a care provider would speak by phone to a pet parent who would wait in their car during the appointment.
Beyond providing pet care in the physical sense, Bond Vet viewed their clinic as a source of broader community support during a difficult time. “Our veterinary clinics serve as a hub to bind together communities of people, bonded together by one thing – the love they share for their pets,” insists Satchu. To that end, instead of curtailing ancillary services, they reinvented them to provide a safer, more pandemic-friendly experience.
Indeed, New Yorkers have been grateful for Bond Vet’s uninterrupted service and support amid the Covid-19 crisis. First time puppy owner Claudia Huapaya found herself sheltered in place with a brand new mini Goldendoodle puppy around the time of the shelter in place order. “Being able to get to Bond Vet regularly whether for a scheduled vaccination or sick visit has been amazing,” says Huapaya.
One thing is for sure….New Yorkers love their pets, and in some ways the crisis has helped strengthen that bond. While Bond Vet acknowledges that this additional time that New Yorkers have spent with their pets has been great – both in terms of additional bonding time and increased awareness of their pet’s habits and potential medical issues, they warn that many pets may experience increased separation anxiety once work and travel restrictions lift.
Indeed, veterinarians are yet another essential service that has made such a difference for New Yorkers during a fragile time, and Bond Vet provides just one example of how so many small businesses have risen to the occasion. “We’ve worked hard to develop a culture around celebration of the human animal bond and are doing everything we can to make this experience seamless until the city recovers.” For this, many New Yorkers – and their pets – are certainly grateful.
Love this photo