I was hoping that I would have MORE wonderful news for you this month, but it's hard to get positive words out through this large mouthful of very chewy crow that I'm munching on right now!

Regretfully, we will NOT have a new Doctor joining Knollwood Hospital for Pets, as I had expected and had announced last month.  Contract negotiations that initially seemed easy became more and more difficult as the summer wore on.  Because Knollwood clients are like family to me, I needed to be assured that we would be signing on a Doctor who wanted to provide full time care for all of you, just as I do.  Contract negotiations proved exceptionally difficult in this and then, later, in other respects.  In the end, it became clear that the roadblocks that had been repeatedly thrown up could not be surmounted.

I became a veterinarian so that I could make a difference in the lives of my patients and my clients.  Ten years later, I became a business owner so that I could make that difference in a way that suited ME.  I had a vision of providing the same level of care for my patients that I'd want for my own pets, and opening Knollwood Hospital for Pets allowed me to do that.  Along the way, I learned a few things.  It has been my experience, over the years, that things that are meant to happen generally do so in an orderly and peaceful way - and that situations that become more and more difficult by the day, probably aren't the best ones to continue pursuing.  So, we will be moving on in our search for a new veterinarian.  In the meantime, we are working on a hospital schedule that will provide the access to us that you have come to expect, while keeping me sane.  The 75+ hours a week I've been working all summer didn't seem TOO bad when I thought that there was an end in sight.  Now that we are starting our Doctor search from "ground zero," I need to reduce those hours somewhat, in order to remain the Doctor that you expect me to be! 

We are looking at two options for hours as we move into the fall and winter, and we'd really like your feedback. 

Option One:  Our hospital would be open Monday through Friday, 9am - 8pm, with no weekend hours.

Option Two: Our hospital would be open Tuesday through Saturday: 9am -8pm on Tuesday and Friday, 9am-9pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 9am-3pm on Saturday.

So far, the surveys that we've been handing out to every client who walks through the doors has shown a 2-to-1 preference for the Tuesday through Saturday schedule - but we want to know what YOU think! Feel free to call the hospital at 847-891-8944 and let Michelle, Chani, or Tracy at the front desk know which option you prefer.  Or, e-mail our Webmistress Kelly, at postmaster@knollwoodhospitalforpets.com

And stay tuned as we work on fine-tuning our practice so that we can continue to offer you the care and service that you and your pets deserve!