What The Diggins? Vet Opens On Orange

Eighteen-year-old cat Diggins rolled out of an exam room in a gray mesh stroller Monday morning, taking in the sights and sounds of the waiting room at Elm City Vet — a newly opened veterinary clinic located just a block away from the New Haven Green.

Elm City Vet opened its doors on March 17 to dogs and cats across the city.

Roger Atlas, Diggins’s owner, said on Monday he was happy to find a clinic near ​“the New Haven superstar’s” favorite lunchtime haunt, the fountain on the New Haven Green.

Elm City Vet is the newest location operated by Pieper Veterinary, a network of general, urgent, emergency, and specialty care clinics with ten locations across Connecticut. It’s located at 269 Orange St., in ground-floor retail space of a newly built luxury apartment building called Curio 269.

Elm City Vet’s 10-person team includes two doctors, Dr. Julia Chant and Dr. Danielle Provost. The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with plans to add Friday and Saturday hours.

The clinic offers general and urgent care and refers emergency or specialty cases to other Pieper locations. Manager Casey Miller said that being part of a broader network can be a major advantage: ​“All Pieper clinics use the same database,” she explained, ​“allowing vets to extend [the reach of] their care.”

Like other Pieper clinics, Elm City Vet reserves appointment slots for rescue and shelter animals. Through its partnership with The Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter in North Haven, the clinic sees rescue animals for both well and sick visits Wednesday mornings. Miller said that they plan to develop partnerships with more Connecticut animal shelters.

The waiting room, lined with New Haven-inspired artwork, was quiet and smelled faintly of fresh paint on Monday afternoon. 

When the clinic’s lunch break ended, 5‑year-old terrier Bob and his owner entered the waiting room. Bob’s owner said that she wanted Bob to get comfortable with the clinic before his upcoming wellness check-up. 

Miller and client service representative Rosie Bernardo greeted Bob warmly, offering him heaps of compliments, treats, and pets. 

Chant, who works with The Feline Connection and Homeward Bound Humane Society in Vermont, described medical care for shelter animals as ​“important for building the human-animal bond.” She explained that giving shelters and potential pet owners information about a rescue’s ​“age and preexisting conditions … helps each animal find the right home.”

According to Miller, Elm City Vet is making an effort to connect with the local community. The clinic has already participated in a number of pet-centered events, including Easter Egg Hunt for Da Dogs in Edgerton Park and Paws on the Promenade on Orange Street. It will also take part in the next New Haven Night Market on May 16.

Over time, Chant hopes Elm City Vet will become a familiar presence downtown. The clinic is ​“part of a larger network,” she explained, ​“but still has that small-town feel.” She said that she wants pet owners to know that Elm City Vet is here for them.

Atlas — the cat owner — adopted Diggins and his sister from a PetCo in Sarasota, Fla., 18 years ago. Friendly and outgoing, Diggins was not anxious during his pre-surgery check-up Monday, but seemed eager to head back outside, where he could return to his preferred activities of exploring and sunbathing. 

Before Atlas left the clinic, Miller gave him tips for tricking Diggins into taking the full dose of his medication.