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Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Veterinary technician Shannon Townley holds Eeyore in the records room of Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in Christiansburg. Eeyore is a blood donor house cat, and Townley is one of the technicians who will be working in the center’s new 24-hour emergency clinic at 1605 N. Franklin St. Christiansburg, 382-5042.

Precious, a patient of Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in Christiansburg, leaves the clinic with her owner, Sharon Flinchum of Pilot. The clinic now offers 24-hour care.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Imagine this: Spot is barking at 2 a.m., so his owner lets him out to relieve himself. But Spot darts across the yard and in front of a pair of headlights.

Who can Spot's owner call to help?

Until Town & Country Veterinary Clinic in Christiansburg opened as a 24-hour emergency clinic Nov. 18, the options of New River Valley pet owners were limited.

Some could have called their local vet's paging services. They could have driven to an emergency clinic in Roanoke. Others could have rushed their pet to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, though the animal hospital doesn't advertise itself as an emergency clinic.

Now, pet owners can also bring pets in need of after-hours care to Town & Country Veterinary Clinic.

"I've always wanted to do this, and there's been a push in the New River Valley amongst the local veterinarians to open an emergency clinic for a few years," said veterinarian Kelly Burdette, owner of Town & Country. "It's just kind of fallen through for a hundred reasons."

But now, with seven doctors and 37 support employees -- receptionists, veterinary technicians and groomers -- on staff, Burdette is finally able to respond to what she said is significant client demand for 24-hour care.

Pet owners can also call at any time to check on boarded or sick pets, a service that client Phyllis Clarkson is most looking forward to using.

Clarkson, of Christiansburg, has taken her cats to the clinic since it opened in 1992.

"I think it's a great idea," she said. "Now, if you have an animal hospitalized, there's somebody there 24 hours if an emergency comes up."

Although clients can bring pets in for routine visits after 8 p.m., it's going to cost them.

"Obviously I have to pay my evening staff, so if they want to come in for a rabies shot at midnight, they're probably going to pay more than someone who's scheduled at 10 o'clock in the morning," Burdette said. "We live in an area where there are a lot of second- and third-shift workers, so it may be worth it for them to pay an extra $50 and come in and get stuff done."

Veterinarians at Town & Country can perform most procedures but typically refer a patient requiring back surgery, orthopedic surgery or special scans to Virginia Tech's animal hospital.

The vet school supports any measure that ensures emergency veterinary care in the New River Valley, spokesman Jeff Douglas said.

He said that while the hospital is open 24 hours and available for emergency care, it's not a service that the university advertises fervently.

"It's demanding on the facility, and we're not set up as an emergency center. We're mostly set up as a comprehensive primary care and referral care center," he said. "Town & Country is one of the senior practices in the area. They're very well known, they do a good job and I'm not surprised they've decide to extend their services like this."

Burdette, a Virginia Tech graduate, opened Town & Country in 1992 in the North Gate Shopping Center in Christiansburg. Since then, the facility has expanded twice. A month ago, staff extended their closing time from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The clinic serves dogs, cats and other small animals.