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EDGE District gets its first animal hospital
Pet owners in the EDGE District will no longer have to travel far to get veterinary care for their four-legged friends.
EDGE Animal Hospital, located at 913 1st Ave North, opens its doors Thursday and will be the district’s first animal clinic. Owner Raul Buso said he hopes to fill a need in an area where many people are pet owners.
“As a downtown resident, I saw an opportunity to serve the EDGE District community, presenting a new approach to veterinary services and treatments,” said Buso, who also owns Haines Animal Hospital.
EDGE Animal Hospital will provide a variety of services including allergy treatment, vaccinations, dentistry, surgery, radiology and ultrasound. There are also plans to roll out additional patient-focused services in the coming months, which include at-home visits to the EDGE District residents, local golf cart transportation for food deliveries or pickups, online pharmaceutical orders and a mobile app.
Buso purchased the building in May 2019 and had planned to open his practice sooner, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced construction delays. As a nod to St. Pete’s thriving art scene, he commissioned a cat mural on the side of the building created by local artist Matt Kress. Kress dubbed it “Kitty King.”
St. Pete has developed a reputation as a city that loves its pets. In August, it was named the eighth most dog-friendly city in the U.S., according to a study by financial technology company SmartAsset. In conducting the study, SmartAsset analyzed data from the 100 largest cities across the country on metrics including how many dog parks, dog-friendly businesses and veterinary offices exist in each area. St. Pete, which finished two spots behind Tampa, earned high marks for its high concentration of pet stores and vet clinics, and it has the 15th-highest ratio of dog parks to residents, at 2.3 per 100,000 residents.
The animal hospital will host an open house Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. where residents can tour the facility. There will also be food, raffles and local vendors on hand for anyone looking to get a head start on holiday shopping for their pets.