Alameda East Veterinary Hospital

Taylor, at the time a recent veterinary school graduate, was somewhat frustrated at the level of critical care and technological services that were available to animals in the private sector as opposed to the high-end facilities of a university hospital.

Determined to bring this level of care and technique to the average pet owner, Taylor decided to make Alameda East a full-service hospital facility, with round-the-clock staffing, an intensive care unit, surgical and radiological equipment, and internal medicine specialist physicians.

The hospital first began 24-hour service in 1974, with Taylor and a handful of young doctors and veterinary technicians working virtually non-stop for months.

First-run production on Emergency Vets ended in 2002 after Taylor began putting plans together for expansion of the hospital that would have been hindered by the constant presence of a TV crew on-site during construction.

In addition to the normal patient visitation rooms and cages of a regular veterinary practice, the new facility offers four surgical suites, CT and MRI equipment, a full-service ICU and pathology laboratory, a physical therapy suite, and a boarding facility called "Animal Lodge".