Veterinary care for the pets, and the people, of the South Orange Maplewood line.
Four doctors. Eight technicians. One front desk that knows your dog's middle name. We have been AAHA-accredited since 2009, Fear Free since 2019, and proudly a Cat Friendly Practice — because half our patients are cats, and they have opinions.
Certified
Practice
Three accreditations, each earned through a third-party site survey. We're proud of them because they kept us honest while we earned them.
AAHA inspects roughly 12–15% of US small-animal hospitals. Fear Free certifies handling practices that lower stress on the exam table. Cat Friendly requires a separate cat lobby and a written low-stress feline protocol. Read how we got there →
Eight service lines, one general-practice hospital.
We're a four-doctor general-practice hospital with dentistry focus and soft-tissue surgical capability. The list below is everything you'll find on a typical week.
Wellness Care
Thirty-minute exams that aren't double-booked. Annual labs after age seven. Written visit summary home the same day.
Read more → No. 02Vaccinations
Lifestyle-tailored protocols. Your indoor cat doesn't need everything a puppy needs. Core vaccines, no over-vaccination.
Read more → No. 03Dentistry
Full dental cleanings under monitored anesthesia, with digital dental x-rays. Dr. Hannah Beckett's clinical focus.
Read more → No. 04Surgery
Soft-tissue procedures with Dr. Sarah Okonkwo, fellowship-trained at Tufts. Cruciate (TPLO), TECA, mass removals.
Read more → No. 05Diagnostics & Imaging
In-house lab, digital x-ray, ultrasound. CT and MRI go to referral when needed; we'll handle the handoff.
Read more → No. 06Urgent Care
Same-day appointments for sick pets during clinic hours. We are not a 24/7 emergency clinic — see partners on /contact.
Read more → No. 07Senior Pet Care
Twice-yearly bloodwork, annual chest x-rays, blood-pressure monitoring (cats especially). Long appointments by default.
Read more → No. 08End-of-Life Care
Hospice consultations, in-clinic and in-home euthanasia, condolence cards. We take the time this part needs.
Read more →Four doctors. Each one with their own pet at home.
Dr. Priya Bhattacharya
Medical Director · DVM, MS
Founded the hospital in 2003. Cornell '00, Penn internship, master's in clinical sciences. Sees roughly 60% of the clinic's appointments.
Their pet Ravi, an 8-year-old rescue dog. Goes everywhere with Dr. Priya.
Dr. Marcus Chen
Associate Veterinarian · DVM
Joined in 2012. Cornell '11. Special interest in dermatology and ophthalmology. The doctor most likely to figure out the rash.
Their pet Tippet, a 12-year-old gray tabby.
Dr. Sarah Okonkwo
Surgeon · DVM, Fellowship in Soft-Tissue Surgery
Joined in 2018 after a soft-tissue surgery fellowship at Tufts. Performs cruciate repair, TECA, mass removals, and dentals.
Their pet Boudin, a Brittany who failed bird-dog school.
Dr. Hannah Beckett
Dentistry-Focus · DVM
Joined in 2022, fresh out of Penn. Special interest in small animal dentistry, oral surgery, periodontal disease.
Their pet Two Cornish Rex cats named Tofu and Edamame.
Three plans for three life stages.
Monthly memberships covering the routine preventive care most pets need. Not pet insurance. Not an emergency plan. Real numbers, no fine print.
Puppy & Kitten Plan
$59 /month
12-month commitment · converts to Adult after first year
- 4 wellness exams (puppies/kittens need them more often)
- Complete vaccine series
- Spay or neuter at 6 months, included
- Microchip + fecal exams + deworming
Adult Pet Plan
$45 /month
Annual term · ages 1 through 7
- 2 wellness exams + annual vaccines
- Annual heartworm test + tick panel (or FeLV/FIV for cats)
- Annual basic bloodwork
- Unlimited nail trims · 10% off dental
Senior Pet Plan
$65 /month
Annual term · age 8 and up
- 2 wellness exams + senior bloodwork twice yearly
- Annual chest x-rays + blood-pressure check
- 15% off dental · priority same-day scheduling
- Unlimited nail trims
What Fear Free actually means here.
Every exam room has a pheromone diffuser plugged into the wall — Feliway for cats, Adaptil for dogs. The cat lobby and the dog lobby are separated by a half-wall. We pre-medicate anxious patients with gabapentin (cats) or trazodone (dogs) when their owners and we agree it'll make the visit better; you go home with a dose to give an hour before the next appointment.
We use slow-introduction protocols on first visits — sometimes the first ten minutes is the doctor sitting on the floor with treats while the dog decides she's okay. We don't restrain a stressed cat in front of an owner if we can avoid it; we'll step out, give it a minute, try again. Sometimes we reschedule. Nobody is in a hurry.
It's not magic. It's just being patient with an animal who can't tell us where it hurts.
"I trained at Penn, started at a corporate clinic, and lasted three years. Then I bought this building on Springfield Avenue in 2003 and put my license on the wall. Twenty-three years later, the building is still ours, and so is the work." — Dr. Priya Bhattacharya, DVM, MS · Owner, Medical Director
On Springfield Avenue, just south of the train station.
1847 Springfield AvenueMaplewood, NJ 07040
Street parking on Springfield Avenue. Free lot behind the building, entered from Burnett Avenue. The Maplewood NJT station is a four-minute walk.
Maplewood · South Orange · Millburn · Short Hills · Springfield · Livingston · Cranford · Union · West Orange · Irvington — and any pet whose owner is willing to drive to us.