08/24/2026
We know today’s announcement about changes to Hawthorne’s overnight emergency services is a significant one for our clients and our community, and we understand that it may bring questions and concerns.
Beginning September 1, Hawthorne will no longer accept new emergency patients between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM. During those hours, pet owners experiencing an emergency will be directed to a nearby 24-hour emergency facility. Our phone lines will remain staffed overnight to help clients determine the appropriate next step.
We also want to be very clear about what is changing: Pets hospitalized at Hawthorne overnight will continue to receive continuous, on-site care. Our tenured veterinary assistants remain in the hospital throughout the overnight shift, monitoring patients and providing prescribed treatments, medications, fluid therapy, pain management, and other necessary care.
A Hawthorne veterinarian is also on call throughout the night and can come into the hospital when a hospitalized patient requires additional veterinary care. Our hospitalized patients are not left unattended, and this change does not mean Hawthorne is eliminating overnight care for pets already admitted to our hospital.
During our 7:00 AM–7:00 PM hours, our veterinary team will continue providing full-service veterinary care, urgent care and intensive care management, including dedicated availability for urgent and complex cases.
We know Hawthorne’s 24-hour emergency service has been an important resource for this community for many years. This was not a decision we made lightly. Veterinary medicine is experiencing significant nationwide staffing challenges, particularly in overnight emergency care. Continuing our previous model without the veterinary staffing necessary to support it would not be responsible for our patients or for the people entrusted with caring for them.
This change allows us to protect the well-being and longevity of our medical team while maintaining the standard of care our patients deserve. Our goal is to restore expanded overnight emergency services when staffing allows us to do so safely and responsibly.
We are incredibly grateful for the clients who have trusted Hawthorne with their pets for generations, and we understand that trust has to be earned every day. We welcome questions about this transition and encourage you to contact our team directly so we can provide accurate information about your pet’s care and our new hours.
Please read the full letter below for details about what to expect beginning September 1.