2008-07-07 23:37:27 - InTown Veterinary Group & Dover Veterinary Hospital join forces in preparation of opening a new 24 hour emergency and specialty veterinary hospital in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Industry statistics and economic impact data are included.

Portsmouth July 7, 2008 - InTown Veterinary Group and the specialists at Dover Veterinary Hospital are very pleased to announce that in September 2008, the two organizations will merge to better meet the needs of pet owners and referring veterinarians in the greater Seacoast region and Southern Maine. Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital in Portsmouth, NH will provide 24 hour

emergency veterinary services, seven days per week in addition to the board certified specialty services of internal medicine and surgery 6 days per week, ophthalmology and radiology, including out-patient ultrasound.

Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital will be the third 24 hour emergency and specialty veterinary hospital built and operated by InTown Veterinary Group, and the first in New Hampshire. 'We are excited about the marriage of our two highly skilled organizations, and the potential impact our new combined entity will have on the greater Seacoast pet-owning community' said G. Ames Prentiss, CEO, InTown Veterinary Group, Inc. We anticipate opening our doors in early September 2008. The building is currently in the process of being rebuilt to better suit the needs of a technologically advanced veterinary hospital.

InTown Veterinary Group hospitals include Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn, MA, Essex County Veterinary Referral Hospital in N. Andover, MA, and two general practice hospitals, Bulger Animal Hospital in N. Andover, MA and Muddy Creek Animal Care Center in Rowley, MA. InTown Veterinary Group is dedicated to providing excellence in medical quality and state of the art diagnostic equipment while maintaining the human touch and kind compassionate care to our clients and the patients they entrust to us.

Dover Veterinary Hospital has provided progressive medical care using state of the art equipment to their clients since 1988. 'This new relationship will enable Dover Veterinary Hospital to build upon its successes while expanding our client base and service offerings to the area' said Dr. Lee Spyridakis, DVM, DACVIM, owner and founder of Dover Veterinary Hospital. 'Having doctors on site 24 hours per day will significantly augment the level of care we can provide to our patients.'

The aggregate impact of a new veterinary hospital in New Hampshire is the most recent example of the substantial contributions veterinary medicine makes to the New Hampshire economy. A recent study commissioned by the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and produced by the Economic and Public Policy Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts, Donahue Institute concluded that in 2006 'New Hampshire's veterinary medicine industry contributed over $148.7 million to the state economy and employed over 2,000 people.' The study also showed that 'direct veterinary medicine spending supported an additional $109.8 million in indirect and induced economic impact and almost 900 jobs in other industries, for a statewide total impact of over $258 million and nearly 3,000 jobs' .(1)

Further findings of the same study showed that across New England, the sector consisting of veterinary clinical practice (the treatment of companion and food animals) 'was responsible in 2006 for $2.1 billion in total economic impacts,' employed an estimated 15,545 veterinarians, veterinary assistants and technicians, and support staff, and supported an estimated additional 7,293 jobs throughout the region.




About InTown Veterinary Group
Established in 1980, InTown Veterinary Group is a team of accomplished veterinary professionals dedicated to providing pet owners with the most comprehensive and advanced medical care available today. With five veterinary hospitals serving the metropolitan Boston area, InTown Veterinary Group offers board-certified specialty services, emergency/critical care and general care - staffed by some of the country's most highly trained veterinary professionals and supported by sophisticated diagnostic capabilities. Its emergency/critical-care hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and have experienced practitioners on duty fully equipped to handle a diverse medical and surgical caseload. InTown Veterinary Group is committed to maintaining the highest standards of medical care for the benefit of its clients, colleagues and the greater community of pet owners. For more information, visit us at www.InTownVet.com.





(1) 'Veterinary Medicine in New England: State by State Characteristics and Economic Impact.' Prepared for the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine by Lindsay Koshgarian with Michael Goodman, Anna Curtis, Raija Vaisanen and Jeremy Wolf, January 2008. Copyright January 2008, University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute.