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Independent care at Copake Veterinary Hospital

Local Matters

Independent care at Copake Veterinary Hospital

Veterinary assistant and clinic coordinator Trisha Burlingame with Scarlett.

L. Tomaino
“We are a very close-knit team. Everyone here is like family.”
­— Trisha Burlingame, veterinary assistant and clinic coordinator

Copake Veterinary Hospital, accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association, treats dogs, cats and some pocket pets, including hamsters, gerbils and rats.

The hospital’s owner, veterinarian Dr. Tyler Hotaling, bought the practice in 2024. He is dedicated to providing the best care possible to his patients and pointed to three factors that help achieve that goal.

First, “We are independently owned. Most other vet clinics in the area are corporate,” Hotaling said. He said corporate ownership can contribute to higher costs because of added pressure to show a profit.

Second, “We take pride in our AAHA accreditation. Less than 10% of veterinary clinics achieve it.” Copake follows protocols designed to deliver high-quality patient care and employee training.

Third, “We deliver high-quality, evidence-based care — which is not uniform throughout the profession.”

Copake Veterinary Hospital has an in-house lab and can provide ultrasounds, laser therapy and advanced digital X-rays.

To further expand services, Hotaling has also returned to school to learn new surgical techniques. He recently used his training in advanced orthopedic fracture repair and internal fixation to repair the leg of a puppy that had been hit by a car. He expects to soon complete a course in tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, or TPLO, which will allow him to repair cruciate ligament tears in dogs.

Offering these treatments in Copake rather than sending clients to more expensive specialty hospitals can help keep treatment costs down.

Veterinary assistant Ehren Melius examines Chloe, a Labrador retriever, at Copake Veterinary Hospital. Melius worked in animal welfare for nearly two decades before joining the practice.L. Tomaino

Dr. Emily Reilly, one of five veterinarians at the practice, added as she examined Chloe, a yellow Lab, “We try to keep it low stress and use low-stress handling.”

Veterinary assistant Ehren Melius described another element that benefits Copake’s patients.

“We believe in community-based medicine, which is vanishing in this day and age,” Melius said.

The staff also pointed to teamwork as an important part of the practice. Trisha Burlingame, veterinary assistant and clinic coordinator, praised the work environment.

“We are a very close-knit team. Everyone here is like family. Dr. Hotaling is a great boss, very flexible and family-oriented,” Burlingame said.

Copake Veterinary Hospital is located at 7915 State Route 22 in Copake Falls, New York. Its team welcomes new patients. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The hospital accepts emergencies during regular business hours.

For more information, call 518-329-6161 or visit copakevethospital.com.

Robin Roraback
pets

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