Concord is about to see its first example of a fairly new trend in veterinary medicine: an urgent-care clinic for dogs and cats.

“We’re trying to bridge that gap between the primary vets, who are extremely busy and challenged with getting cases in, and emergency care” such as VCA CAVES in Concord, said Dr. Alison Darby. “It’s very similar to human medicine, where you have that in-between place.”

Lead Urgent Care Veterinary Services is scheduled to open in early February in the Ralph Pill Building, a location previously occupied by Cedar Surgical Center. It will join a half-dozen other veterinary urgent care facilities in the state, some as close as Manchester and Littleton.

The opening comes as the industry is still coping with post-pandemic issues. Lots of people got pets when they were stuck at home with COVID and the resulting deluge of dogs and cats overwhelmed veterinarians, a problem compounded by doctors retiring. It is still difficult to get an appointment at many vet hospitals as they wrestle with staffing shortages.

“Primary vets are still having a hard time getting in same-day sick cases, same-day procedures … so there definitely seems to be a strong need in this area,” she said.

As an example, Darby mentioned a common vet-clinic scenario: A dog that encountered a porcupine and got a face full of quills. That isn’t life-threatening and may not be worth the cost of a long trip to an emergency clinic, but you want it treated quickly and chances are your veterinarian is all booked up.

“You can call and let us know you’re coming, or a walk-in situation,” she said. “Eventually we’ll have online registration and booking.”

Another trend in the industry is consolidation as corporations buy up independent clinics, as VCA did when it purchased Concord Area Veterinary and Emergency and Specialty (CAVES) in Concord. Corporate ownership puts a different sort of strain on veterinarians who were used to running the business on their own schedule.

Lead Urgent Care is privately funded and owned by Darby.

As for patient cost, Carby said, “The goal is to be in the mid-range. … We’ll probably be more costly than a primary vet – there are expenses going along with having staffing at different hours and experience levels – but it’s not as high as an emergency room.”

The clinic will have X-ray, ultrasound and lab equipment for diagnostics, will perform minor surgeries covering lacerations and wounds and has certified veterinary technicians with emergency experience, Darby said. Like most urgent care clinics it will not offer all the services of an emergency hospital, such as CAT scans or major surgery, won’t be open 24/7, and won’t board animals.

Darby lives in Webster with her husband, Monte Cossette. They own HorseFeathers Ostrich Farm, which sells ostrich meat.