Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services and River Bend Pet Center were recently the victims of theft, according to court documents.
By The Chronicle
Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services’ second location — previously called Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital — will close indefinitely due to asbestos, according to River Bend Pet Center’s website.
Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services is part of River Bend Pet Center. Veterinarian Brandy Fay owns River Bend Pet Center and was a part owner at Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital. She recently became a full owner and planned to merge the two clinics under one name.
However, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries notified Fay on Aug. 7 of the asbestos at the 1214 NW State Avenue location in Chehalis. Fay immediately closed the building to the public pending removal of the asbestos.
“Due to the urgency of the situation as well as the health risk, we were not able to provide notification, and have not been able to enter the building, nor can we safely remove medications, food, or any other items,” Fay said in a statement on River Bend Pet Center’s website. “We cannot in good conscience expose anyone to asbestos, and as healthcare providers, we feel that we have an even greater duty to protect the health and well-being of the families and patients we serve.”
Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital had at least five veterinarians on staff at one point and had thousands of patients. It is unclear how the much smaller clinic at River Bend Pet Center will be able to handle that capacity.
Fay did not return request for comment.
“Until the location at 1214 NW State Avenue is brought to compliance with the law regarding asbestos, we will only be providing services at Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services at River Bend Pet Center.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the clinic is closing permanently.
