Island Animal Hospital sets opening date for new clinic in Palm Beach

Palm Beach’s only animal hospital is moving into a new home.

Island Animal Hospital plans to open on November 4 in its new location at 285 Sunrise Ave. in the former Chase Bank branch, said Dr. Mary Ellen Scully, who has been in the practice for nearly 30 years. The clinic’s last day at its current location at 262 Sunset Ave. will be Oct. 30, she said.

“Everybody’s excited about it,” Scully said. “It’s a chance for us to move and change things for the better and embrace those changes.”

According to her, the clinic will be closed from October 31 to November 3 to complete the move to the new office.

“If all the stars align, Nov. 4 is the first day of business in the new office,” Scully said.

Island Animal Hospital was founded in Palm Beach in 1995 in a small office on Royal Palm Way. The clinic purchased a former single-family home on Sunset Avenue in 2000, transforming the bungalow into a busy veterinary clinic.

Scully joined Island Animal Hospital that same year and became the owner in 2022 when former owner Dr. Brad Ochstein retired.

The 1920 bungalow, home to the Island Animal Hospital for more than 20 years, was sold in 2022 to a corporation controlled by New England Development, owner of the nearby White Elephant Palm Beach Hotel. Palm Beach resident Stephen R. Karp is chairman and chief executive officer of New England Development.

To complete the move about a block north to the former Chase branch, the City Council at its December 2023 Development Review Committee meeting unanimously approved a special exception to allow a new veterinary office in a space over 3,000 square feet in the city-served commercial district. He also approved a variance to allow a veterinary office on the first floor of the building, rather than above the first floor.

The new office space will have a different look than the current space, Scully said.

“You just can’t replicate the charm and uniqueness of this building,” she said. “It just won’t translate to a new building.”

The new location also has more parking, “which is huge,” Scully said. Instead of dragging an old dog or cat carrier down Sunset Avenue, customers will have a much shorter walk, she said.

Previous coverage: From sunset to sunrise: Longtime Palm Beach vet clinic ready to move forward with new location

“For convenience, for people who take their pets in the door, it’s just going to make people’s lives easier,” Scully said.

Although the square footage at 285 Sunrise Ave. is a bit smaller, Scully said what is there will be used more efficiently, allowing Island Animal Hospital to have an additional examination room.

Another change will be less noticeable to customers: Island Animal Hospital took advantage of the move to digitize all medical records and add new methods of communicating with the hospital, including a texting option, Scully said.

While it’s a little sad to leave their current home, the Island Animal Hospital team is looking forward to the new space they’ve created for their clients, she said.

Scully said the clinic could celebrate its new home in early December.

For more information about Island Animal Hospital, see islandanimalhospital.com or call 561-833-8552.

Christina Webb is a reporter for the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can contact her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.