Dog Tales building state-of-the-art animal hospital

Written By MARK PAVILONS

A renowned King animal rescue facility is building what will be Ontario's most advanced clinic offering veterinary care.

Rob Scheinberg of Dog Tales said the hospital has been in the planning stages for roughly three years. Final permits are in place for the 54,000-square-foot hospital and shovels are poised, ready to dig. The construction will be done by leading firm PCL. Scheinberg hopes the project will be completed within 20 months.

The facility will included three levels below ground, one main floor and one second-storey. It will boast the latest technological equipment, including MRI and CT scanners. The facility will provide a full range of veterinary care, emergency surgery for large and small animals, a holistic centre, education programs, water therapy and more. It will also have the only hyperbaric chamber for animals in the entire country. Used by professional athletes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) provides enhanced wound healing, reduces inflammation, improves tissue and muscle healing.

Robert and his wife Danielle Eden, paid very close attention to every detail. They wanted to design an aesthetically pleasing building that fits in with the rural landscape.

The main emphasis is on animal care and animal welfare, something that drives everything the Scheinbergs do.

The hospital will provide many employment opportunities in the community. Dog Tales has a strong relationship with nearby Seneca College and the students in their veterinary technician and animal care assistant programs. The Scheinbergs hope to strengthen ties with Seneca and offer co-op and internships at the new facility.

Seneca offers two veterinary programs – eterinary technician and veterinary assistant. 

According to Tony Mallette, Chair, School of Health Sciences at Seneca, all relationships between industry and the programs are extremely valuable, and the animal health programs at Seneca are no exception. In 2017, Scheinberg, a Seneca alumnus, made a philanthropic contribution to Seneca in support of equipment upgrades for the animal health programs and the capital expansion at King Campus. 

“We have had students on their site actively participating in bathing and grooming, as well as graduates being employed at Dog Tales,” Mallette said.

“The new facility will result in increased employment options for our graduates and possible clinical spots for the students while they are still in the program. We are looking forward to sitting down with them in the near future to discuss potential opportunities.”

The new hospital was Danielle's idea and Rob admitted she always has the best plans for the sanctuary. It extends their mandate of compassion and giving back. While challenging at times, the work being done by Dog Tales staff and volunteers is immensely fulfilling.

By helping the “voiceless,” Rob said their lives are satisfying and full.

They've built quite the empire at Dog Tales, which is nearing its 5th anniversary. Dog Tales continues to evolve into a large-scale undertaking, a harmonious passion of caring for dogs across the province, and even around the world.

The facility has become a world-renowned dog rescue and horse sanctuary. The facility is unlike anything else in the world.

While Dog Tales has been labelled as a “dog hotel,” given its luxurious digs, the work that goes on is mighty and less glamorous.

They currently have more than 200 volunteers and house 129 dogs. They've given more than 2,600 dogs up for adoption to great homes.

Recently, Dog Tales staff worked around the clock, helping Arkansas-based  HOPE Humane Society, an 82-year-old non-profit animal shelter and pound. They shut down due to lack of funding and Dog Tales helped many of the shelter's dogs.

The kennels at the new YouthLink Emergency Shelter & Transition Home in Scarborough, were courtesy of the Scheinbergs, too.

The public is invited to visit Dog Tales on Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. During these hours, you can tour the property and check out the dogs and kennels.

For more on Dog Tales, visit dogtales.ca