Oregon Coast Humane Society Getting a Vet Clinic

Zeldris at Oregon Coast Humane Society needs a home. Photo courtesy OCHS.

Oregon Coast Humane Society is in the process of acquiring the Oceanside Veterinary Hospital located in Florence.

Elizabeth Thompson, OCHS executive director, says of the acquisition. “For the last three years, we’ve been trying to expand our veterinary services here in Florence for our shelter animals but also for community pets that were lacking access to care,” she says.

Thompson says that previously, OCHS has had to make trips from Florence to Springfield to provide care for animals in need. The new hospital would alleviate this necessity.

OCHS plans to roll out private care for the community animals while keeping fees in line or lower than other veterinarians.

Thompson notes that she has seen a lack of growth in Florence for pet care and has wanted to expand for quite some time, with plans for expansion dating back to 2024 and a plan of action running until 2030 for the community.

She explains that the talks for acquisition and finalization were ongoing. She declined to provide a monetary figure for the price of the hospital, but says, “It’s a lot of money.” Thompson also says that OCHS is waiting on a repair appraisal for any potential maintenance concerns on the new building as well, as that will determine negotiations.

Additionally, OCHS is trying to buy the hospital in such a way that they walk away debt-free, as this would allow the hospital to quickly transition from exclusively shelter care and vaccinations to more in-depth community care while keeping prices affordable.

Thompsons says, “We’re not going to see community-owned pets until 2026 at the earliest, but we’ll continue to do microchips and vaccination clinics.”

The Oregon Coast Humane Society sends out a weekly newsletter titled “Pet of the Week,” where they pick an animal through their adoption services to share. This newsletter includes a blurb and a portrait of the pet in need of a home. This week’s pet is Zeldris, who OCHS says “arrived at our shelter from a loving home that could no longer care for him.”

Find out more at OregonCoastHumaneSociety.org.

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