Pre-Op Instructions
What you need to know before your pet’s surgery day.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up
Drop-off is between 8:00am and 9:00am. At 9:00am the doors are locked to begin surgeries. Only one client is allowed in the lobby at a time — please line up outside at a safe distance and enter as the previous client leaves. Please wear a face mask if you are sick.
Pick-up is between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. The same one-client-at-a-time policy applies at pick-up.
Fasting Before Surgery
Do not allow your pet to have any food after midnight the night before surgery. Water is fine and should not be restricted.
Carriers & Leashes
Cats must arrive in separate hard-sided plastic carriers, with each carrier labeled with the animal’s name and the owner’s last name. Dogs may be brought in on a leash or in a carrier.
For feral or wild cats: they may be brought in a humane trap, but a hard-sided carrier must also be brought for after surgery. If brought in a carrier, it must be hard-sided so the lid can be safely removed for handling.
Your Pet Must Be Healthy
Animals must be in good health on the day of surgery. Pets showing any signs of illness — coughing, sneezing, runny eyes, vomiting, or diarrhea — will be rescheduled. Please see your primary care veterinarian first and reschedule once your pet has recovered. It is not safe to administer anesthesia to a sick animal, and we take precautions to protect all pets in our care.
Feral & Wild Cats
Feral cats are welcome. If the gender is unknown, they will be scheduled as female. If they turn out to be male, the difference in cost will be reimbursed. See carrier requirements in the section above.
Vaccinations
If you have vaccination records, please bring them. A rabies vaccination is required by Virginia law. If your pet has not been previously vaccinated or you do not have proof of vaccination, a rabies vaccine will need to be purchased on the day of surgery.
Surgery day at a glance
Drop-off and pick-up
Drop-off 8–9am · Pick-up 4–5pm
No food after midnight
Water is fine until morning
Pet must be healthy
Sick pets will be rescheduled
Cancellation policy
24-hr notice required · $25 no-show fee