BluePearl Veterinary Partners husband and wife team Miryam Reems, DVM, DACVECC, and Michael Reems, DVM, MS, DACVS, worked  together to save the nearly severed leg of a beloved service dog named Tush. Click here to watch the clip from CBS 10 news. Click here to watch the clip from NBC News Channel 8.

One of the dogs locked his jaw on Tush’s neck, and the other attacked his front left leg. A long struggle ensued leaving both Marybeth and Tush with multiple fractures and deep wounds. After repeatedly elbowing the strays in the neck and face, Marybeth says she was finally able to set Tush free.

Even with a nearly severed leg, Tush was able to follow Mary’s commands and hold Mary’s entire weight so she could climb into her van to get help. According to Marybeth’s neighbor, Tabitha Starlin, “Tush wouldn’t let anyone else help Marybeth get into her van. Even with her leg hanging by just skin and tendons, Tush pulled Marybeth and her chair to the van, hopping on three legs,” Starlin says. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It brought tears to my eyes.”

Marybeth insisted on taking Tush to the veterinarian before she would get treatment for herself. Without removing the dog from the van, the local family veterinarian directed Marybeth and her neighbors straight to BluePearl Veterinary Partners, a specialty and emergency hospital for pets in Tampa.

Once there, husband and wife team Miryam Reems, who is board certified in veterinary emergency and critical care, and Michael Reems, who is board certified in surgery, worked together to save Tush’s leg. They are optimistic Tush will be able to return to her role helping Marybeth retain her independence.

Marybeth has had Tush for 10 years.”Tush and I are  inseparable,” she says.”By saving Tush, the doctors at BluePearl saved me. I can’t express in words how grateful I am for everything they’re doing for us.”

More than $6,250 has already been donated for Tush’s treatment through Frankie’s Friends, a non-profit organization that provides hope for families who are unable to pay for a pet’s unexpected emergency or illness. Marybeth, who has financial struggles, is hoping to raise more funds to cover the full cost of Tush’s treatment, which is expected to exceed $10,000. To learn more or make a donation, please visit frankiesfriends.com.

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Contact:

Joanne  Lynch, Media & Public Relations Manager

BluePearl Veterinary Partners

813.549.7688, office • 352.400.1932, mobile

joanne.lynch@bluepearlvet.com

Ann Arbor Animal Emergency Clinic Merges with BluePearl’s Michigan Veterinary Specialists

Tampa, FL, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011– BluePearl Veterinary Partners — which is comprised of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals in 10 states — announced today it has assumed ownership of its 21st hospital since the company formed in 2008, according to Chief Executive Officer Darryl Shaw, MBA, CPA.

The newest location is at 4126 Packard St., Ann Arbor, MI. Formerly the Animal Emergency Clinic of Washtenaw County, the hospital has been providing 24-hour emergency and critical care for pets in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities for more than a quarter century.

The merger means a name change for Animal Emergency Clinic of Washtenaw County to BluePearl, as well as a more comprehensive spectrum of services. “In addition to 24/7 emergency and critical care, we’ll start expanding the site’s specialties by adding ophthalmology, internal medicine and surgery within the next few weeks,” says BluePearl Chief Medical Officer Neil Shaw, DVM, diplomate ACVIM. “We look forward to partnering with the local referring veterinary community to improve the overall health of area pets.”

“BluePearl is owned by veterinarians and veterinary professionals and locally managed by experienced, community-focused veterinarians,” says Dan Lorimer, DVM, diplomate ACVO and medical director of Michigan

Veterinary Specialists (MVS), BluePearl’s regional presence in Michigan. “We’re excited to welcome the new Ann Arbor hospital into the MVS fold. It’ll be the fourth BluePearl location in this region, joining three world-class, technologically advanced hospitals that together will provide diagnostics and treatments to more than 26,000 pets each year.

“The focus of each BluePearl hospital is to provide state-of-the-art specialty medicine through referrals with family veterinarians,” says Dr. Lorimer. “We strive to ensure pets receive recommended preventive health care through regular visits with their primary veterinarians, as well as appropriate care by specialists when necessary.”

“I’m delighted our community of hospitals continues to grow,” says Dr. Shaw. “By broadening our network of leaders in veterinary medicine and deepening our array of educational resources, BluePearl is advancing the standard of care the veterinary profession provides — improving both the length and quality of pets’ lives.”

About BluePearl Veterinary Partners

Formed in 2008, BluePearl Veterinary Partners employs more than 1,000, including approximately 250 veterinarians. BluePearl hospitals are referral-only and don’t provide primary care. Most of its 21 hospitals offer 24-hour emergency care services, 365 days a year, either directly or in conjunction with local, non-affiliated emergency groups. As a part of its mission, BluePearl is one of the world’s principal providers of approved veterinary residency and internship educational programs. BluePearl also participates in and conducts clinical trials to study the effectiveness of new drugs and treatments, which give clients access to cutting-edge medicine not yet commercially available and improves the quality of care delivered to our patients.

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