Boston Veterinary Care

BVC: New Look, Same ARLB Dedication

Boston Veterinary Care’s new lobby – scheduled to be formally unveiled later this month – is emblematic of BVC’s new focus and outreach to the Boston community at large. At the same time it exemplifies the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s commitment to providing the best possible service for animals and their people, while judiciously leveraging limited resources.

“Frankly, there are mixed emotions about the redesign, with many people feeling that the money would be spent going directly to animal care,” says BVC Administrator Beverly Hardcastle. “Our feeling is that because we are now competitive with other local veterinary practices, our new client base expects a more pleasant, client-friendly atmosphere in which to be served that’s a step up from the somewhat shabby and strictly utilitarian area we used to have.”

Hardcastle gives well-known Boston-based designer Mike Witt much of the credit for the success of the project. “Mike volunteered countless hours to design the look of the new lobby. He also acted as the general contractor and worked with his contacts to get people to come in and give us a very good price on doing the work,” she says.

A key challenge was minimizing disruption to an active veterinary facility.

“For the two days of heavy construction, it was necessary to close,” explains Hardcastle. “We did this during the holiday week, which is normally a slow week for us. We were also able to do much of the painting overnight when BVC was closed. Since we needed to have a BVC staff member supervising, it meant a couple of nights when I was up till 4:00 a.m., but I think our clients appreciated that they were able to receive uninterrupted service for their animals during the majority of the process.”

As for the new look, “From the moment clients step in our front door, we feel it will convey that we’re a top-notch veterinary facility,” says Hardcastle proudly.

Above left to right: "before" image of the BVC lobby entrance; "after" image of BVC lobby entrance; "before" photo of BVC reception; "after" photo of BVC reception.