2 min read

FALMOUTH — A 24/7 multispecialty veterinary hospital is prepared to serve Maine pets in Falmouth. It’s the largest facility of its kind in New England, its owner says.

The new 42,000-square-foot building is a significant expansion of Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care, which operates two smaller locations in Portland. Built on a hill off Route 1, the facility has 33 exam rooms, six operating rooms and will employ about 220 people, a staff member said.

“My dream of this hospital has come true,” owner and lead veterinarian Marta Agrodnia said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

The hospital will offer specialties that include cardiology, oncology, dermatology, neurology and sports medicine. Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care is a referral center, partnering with primary care veterinarians around the state and beyond to coordinate the treatment of complex conditions in pets.

Construction partners and veterinary staff said that patient care was the top priority in the design of the building, which has quiet surgery recovery areas, a dedicated cat ward, and private spaces for people to say goodbye to their pets during end-of-life care.

“Everybody I have dealt with here, the level of compassion and dedication is unbelievable,” said Susan Marshall, a Gardiner resident who drives her cats to the Portland veterinary center for care.

The hospital will start taking furry patients on Nov. 2. Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care’s Warren Avenue location will remain open, offering urgent care and dentistry, and its Congress Street dermatology location will close.

Development along Route 1 has been a goal for the town of Falmouth for the past several years. In addition to the new veterinary facility, Agrodnia and her husband own 80 surrounding acres extending into Cumberland. The couple and their construction partners have plans to develop the area to serve the community over the next several years. This may include building housing, childcare and a fitness center, Agrodnia said.

“I don’t think any of us thought that this would come together when we started discussing the possibilities up here on Route 1,” said Adam Causey, Falmouth’s long-range planning director. “What a great business to welcome here in Falmouth now.”

This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 20 to correct that the Congress Street dermatology location will close.