November 11, 2020: Updated COVID-19 Policies:
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• These policies are non-negotiable. 
• Due to the unprecedented times and our commitment to keeping our staff and clients as safe as possible, appointment wait times have increased. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 
• Upon arrival at our hospital, we ask that you call from your car to initiate check-in. We ask that all check-ins be handled via phone as the staff isn’t prepared to collect your information if they are outside attending to another client. If you call and receive our voicemail, you may leave a message and a staff member will call you back. Otherwise we suggest that you attempt to call again.
• Only ONE client per family is allowed in the exam room at a time. If circumstances prevent you from complying with this policy, we are happy to do your appointment curbside. The only time more than one client is allowed in an exam room at at time is in the event of a euthanasia. 
• All payments will be collected prior to the appointment in the form of a credit or debit card or check and will be applied to the balance once the appointment is completed. Cash is discouraged at this time. Care Credit and Scratchpay payment services are also accepted.
• Once your nurse is ready to begin your appointment, a nurse will either escort you into the building or will call you on your preferred contact number. 
• You may choose between waiting in our lobby if space is available (a maximum of three clients are allowed at a time), waiting in your car until the appointment begins, or operating the appointment fully curbside (your pet comes in the building while you wait in the car). 
• Anyone who enters our building is expected to wear a mask. If you do not have these items, please let us know upon arrival and they will be provided.
• Your temperature will be checked upon entering the building. 
• Once the appointment is complete, you will again be escorted from the room to the parking lot and your payment will be run once you’re gone. 
• All previous walk-in appointments are now by appointment only. If your pet needs a nail trim, anal glands, non-exam vaccine, or any other appointment done by a nurse, we ask that you call us to schedule an appointment.
• 24-hour notice is still required for all drug refills. Please call us at least 2-3 days prior to running out of your medication for all refills. Once a request is placed, it can take 24 hours or longer to complete depending on the medication. Several medications are strictly controlled substances that can only be authorized and filled by certain staff members. Failure to call us in advance can delay your pet getting their medications appropriately.
• If your pet is in need of a wellness service, we ask that you call us at least 1-2 weeks in advance for their appointment.
• To reduce the number of calls per day, we offer scheduling via our website at sugarcreekanimalhospital.org. You can also email or text us via our Pet Portal app (accessible via our website). If your pet is critically ill, please call us in lieu of emailing or texting. Email and text should only be utilized if you're able to wait a minimum of a few hours for a response. 
• If you or someone in your family has recently been ill or out of the country, we recommend postponing any appointment except in the event of an emergency. If you’ve recently been ill or out of the country and your pet is experiencing an emergency, we recommend a different party brings the pet to us. If that is not an option, the appointment will be completed curbside only. 
• If you have a pending COVID-19 test or have recently tested positive for COVID-19, we ask that you postpone any appointments until your test results are negative.