New York's trauma center for animals takes the most complex cases

abcnews.go.com:

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City is one of a handful of veterinary hospitals across the country that is equipped to handle the most complicated cases

NEW YORK — Waddling in with lime-green booties on his front paws, Harrison, a beloved seven-year-old French bulldog, is a familiar sight at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City.

“Between myself and surgery, the neurology team, the internal medicine team, the dentistry team — so Harrison has a large crew here taking care of him,” said Dr. Daniel Spector, senior veterinarian during a visit in March. He added the rehab team to the list later.

Harrison doesn’t have an overall diagnosis beyond being a French bulldog — an increasingly popular breed prone to health problems. His human, Manhattan resident Grace Kim, said they come to AMC for “top notch” care, the coordination between teams, and the ability to get referrals in-house for something like a dental procedure, which brought them in recently.

Located on Manhattan’s east side, the animal hospital and its more than 130 veterinarians logged nearly 60,000 patient visits in 2023, as one of a handful of centers across the country equipped to manage the most complicated medical cases, which clinics with fewer resources cannot handle.

While most patients pay out of pocket, AMC offers multiple initiatives to cover charity care, especially for rescue animals and working dogs. In 2022, the hospital donated $4.4 million in care through very specific programs like the Kiki White Umbrella Cockatoo Avian Fund and the Honey Bunny and ROU German Shepherd Fund, which help families with limited financial means care for their birds, rabbits and German Shepherds, and broader programs like the Buddy