Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services and River Bend Pet Center were recently the victims of theft, according to court documents.
While a Chehalis veterinary clinic was in the middle of changing names and owners last month, the building unexpectedly closed due to asbestos — forcing a single Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services to take on both clinics’ patients.
“We received notification on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from Labor and Industries that the location at 1214 NW State in Chehalis tested positive for asbestos,” wrote River Bend Pet Center owner Brandy Fay in a statement on the company’s website. “Under the advisement of Labor and Industries, the laws governing such matters, and our dedication to protecting our clients, patients, and staff from the risk of asbestos exposure, we immediately closed the doors to the public.”
Fay did not respond to multiple requests for comment at the time of the statement, and could not be reached for comment again on Monday.
The Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital business, which was located at 1214 NW State Ave. in Chehalis, was previously owned by veterinarian Mark Giffey and Fay. Fay bought the business, but not the building, which Giffey Properties, LLC still owns.
Giffey said on Monday that the building has been ready to be occupied since Friday, Sept. 21. Although he notified Fay, he said he was not sure if she already began moving back into the building or if she still planned to purchase the building.
“Edwards Environmental has cleaned the building and done post-abatement testing,” Giffey said. “The building is clean — the asbestos has been removed. That work was completed last weekend. Then after they took the popcorn off the ceiling, we had to have the ceilings repaired to look presentable, so that took a couple days.”
Fay owns River Bend Pet Center and Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services. She planned to bring the second vet clinic — the one located at 1214 NW State Ave. in Chehalis —under her ownership and Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services’ name. Giffey was set to work at the clinic until the end of August and then retire, but retired at the end of July.
It is unclear at this time if Fay plans to buy the building or not. It is also unclear what Fay’s timeline is for reopening the second location or how Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services is handling the influx of patients.
Although Fay cited an Aug. 7 notification from L&I in a statement on River Bend Pet Center’s website, there was also an anonymous referral on Aug. 14, according to records The Chronicle obtained from L&I.
“Since April 2018, on and off, there has been construction in the building,” the referral reads in part. “Some of the walls have been removed, pipe system has been replaced and popcorn ceiling has been removed as well. The owner did not have a good faith survey for asbestos prior to the construction.”
The referral also said the building tested positive for asbestos.
“Two weeks ago, the building was tested for asbestos and the results came out positive,” the referral reads. “At one-point (sic), pieces of the popcorn ceiling was falling down while employees were working in the building.”
The referral said the owner and a contractor removed the popcorn ceiling while the business was closed.
“He told the employees that if they found any debris to swipe it and throw it away,” the referral reads. “The construction paused a few weeks ago, but they don’t know when it will start again. It paused because the building may change owners. Right now, there are no workers exposed to the asbestos.”
According to records from the department, L&I visited the 1214 NW State address on Aug. 16, but the building was closed and had signs that directed people to 311 Hamilton — River Bend Pet Center’s headquarters.
Megan Tierney from Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services spoke with L&I, according to documents obtained by The Chronicle. Tierney told L&I that Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services was working with L&I Consultation services to aid in the inspection before it purchased the building at 1214 NW State Ave.
According to Tierney’s statement from the L&I records, Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services requested a good faith inspection from Giffey Properties. Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services had an abatement contractor test the ceilings and do additional air and tape lift sampling.
Tierney did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Although the vet clinic closed last month due to asbestos, L&I did not open an inspection with any of the parties involved — Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services, Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital and Giffey Properties.
“Since Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary is no longer in business and Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services bought the business while working with L&I consultation services, no inspection was opened with either business. Giffey Properties LLC is in the process of abating the asbestos and has no current exposed employees, so no inspection was opened with the business.”
